A Rotary fundraiser to help community heroes Over 400 people were present at the dinner-cum-auction event, the proceeds of which will go to the Boys and Girls Club and an Area Religious Council.
Batgirl, Wolverine, Harley Quinn and Gamora showed up at Sunrise Rotary-Hagerstown’s (Maryland, US – D 7360) fundraiser Sunday to help some real community superheroes.
Sunrise Rotary picked a superhero theme for its annual big fundraiser.
This year, Sunrise Rotary will share proceeds with The Boys and Girls Club of Washington County and HARC, the Hagerstown Area Religious Council.
The annual event usually raises $40,000 to $50,000, according to event Chairwoman Kathy Harple and Sunrise Rotary President Herb Smith.
They said 420 people were expected at the dinner and auction at the Hagerstown Elks Lodge off Robinwood Drive.
That is the largest crowd the event has had in 17 years.
HARC will use its share of the proceeds to buy food in bulk from the Maryland Food Bank to help with Micah’s Backpack in the county, HARC Executive Director Kathy Powderly said.
More than 50 churches and faith-based organisations in the county help about 1,000 children each week through Micah’s Backpack.
Every week of the school year, volunteers pack bags with nutritious meals to get children through the weekend, she said.
The Boys and Girls Club’s share of the proceeds will help pay for materials and staffing at the four local after-school programmes, Executive Director Addie Nardi said.
Those programmes are along Pennsylvania Avenue, at the Elgin Station Community Center in Hagerstown’s West End, in Noland Village off Virginia Avenue, and at the Frederick Manor Community Center off Frederick Street.
About 500 youths ages 6 to 18 participate in those after-school programs.
Nardi said the money will help with programmes such as Passport to Manhood, Smart Girls, and the recently launched Street Smarts, a gang-prevention and anti-bullying program.
A member of Rotary, Nardi said she appreciated the group deciding to share some of the proceeds with The Boys and Girls Club.
Smith, dressed as the new Robin, said event proceeds also will support Rotary International and the Hagerstown Sunrise Rotary Foundation Education Fund.
The education fund awards local scholarships.
The local club supports Rotary International with larger global projects.
It recently helped create three wells with clean water in Haiti, Smith said.
Source: Herald-Mail Media
