Evening Dinner and Auction Event Raised More than $27,500 to Benefit Local Children
Cincinnati, OH (June 12, 2014) – The Salvation Army Camp Auxiliary today announced that their inaugural HOPE fundraiser greatly surpassed their expectations, raising more than $27,500. The Camp Auxiliary has been active since the mid-1950s, raising funds to support The Salvation Army’s Camp SWONEKY, which has served tens of thousands of children from across the region.
This year, members of the Camp Auxiliary introduced a new fundraising format, including a new venue. “We’re delighted with the success of the new HOPE event,” stated Jill Smith, president of the Camp Auxiliary. “Honestly, we were a bit nervous about changing the event, but the outcome speaks for itself. This is very encouraging to all the members, and especially the HOPE committee.”
Funds raised by The Salvation Army Camp Auxiliary benefit Camp SWONEKY, a 280-acre camp facility near Oregonia, OH. Each year, more than a thousand area children have the opportunity to attend camp sessions thanks to donor support. In recent years, the camp has expanded to serve single parents and seniors too. Funds provided by the Camp Auxiliary have been used to purchase equipment at the camp, enhance facilities, provide personal care items for the attendees, and meet other needs of the camp and its attendees. Proceeds from the inaugural HOPE event will be used, in part, to provide camp t-shirts to more than 1,200 campers this season, bibles, as well as enhancements to the archery and disc golf features at camp.
“We’re deeply grateful to all the members of the Camp Auxiliary,” stated Major Janet Ashcraft, Divisional Director of Women’s Ministries at The Salvation Army. “And special thanks to the HOPE committee, which worked so tirelessly to achieve a great outcome. I’m so happy that all their effort paid off so well, and thankful for how this will benefit the children and families who attend Camp SWONEKY.”
The Camp Auxiliary has already confirmed plans for the HOPE event for 2015, which will be held on Friday, May 8th. Those interested in more information about, and/or how to help support the 2015 HOPE event are asked to contact Janet Sarran, HOPE event co-chair, at 513-476-7557 or greatescape@cinci.rr.com.
For more information about the work of The Salvation Army in Greater Cincinnati, please visit www.salvationarmycincinnati.org, or follow us at www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyCincinnati and www.twitter.com/salarmycincy.
# # #