Flood Relief Fundraising – The Old Fashioned Way

On my way in to the WGNA studios today, I was listening to Sean and Richie continue our WGNA Flood Relief Fundraiser.  In their 23rd hour of broadcasting live, Sean mentioned that we were raising money 'the old fashioned way,' with no corporate sponsors or national support to help make our donation bigger.

With that said, anyone and everyone who donated anything from $1 to $1,000 should be very proud of the fact that we came together and did the best we could to help our local neighbors in need.  From Sue Leavenworth's bake sale to a group of construction workers who collected at their work site, every bit has made a big difference, financially and spiritually.

Another good example is the $1,217 that was collected at two Country Dance nights.  A relatively tough time of year to get people on the dance floor, with summer vacations and outdoor activities filling up the calendar, a modest crowd showed us their big hearts.  Amongst about 80 people, we were able to raise over a thousand dollars, $5 at a time, raffling off prizes and accepting donations for song requests.  Volunteers like Dana and Haley Dupray (pictured above with Willie Nelson raffle winner Suzanne Guerineau) were great examples of that great community spirit.  Although our $1,217 may not seem like an impressive amount, compared to other big fundraising events, I am extremely proud of every dollar, donated from the hearts of every day hard working people!

Just think, we were able to buy 1,200 people tooth brushes, or maybe buy a family a new living room set, or maybe help a child replace her bed, or maybe help a farmer buy a new tractor, or maybe help a single mom replace her work clothes.  Now, when you add what this small group of Country Dancers was able to accomplish, to everyone else's donations and efforts, we've helped a LOT of people recover- one dollar, one random act of kindness, one raffle ticket, one smile at at time.

Thank you to everyone that continues to help the 'Old Fashioned Way!' You helped WGNA raise over $30,000 and counting!