Friends, Food and Fun Fundraising Event for Ottawa Friendship House

Ottawa, IL - Proceeds from the Friends, Food and Fun fundraising event hosted March 10 have topped $55,000 in support of Ottawa Friendship House. More than $34,000 was confirmed as final numbers from ticket sales, raffles and live auction purchases were tallied. Additional funding was pledged by Linda and Mike Mussallem, the daughter and son-in-law of Jane McCormick, one of the agency's original founders.  Before the fundraising event's live auction performed by Matthew Bullock Auctioneers, event organizers announced that the Mussallems would match funds up to $20,000 generated from the evening. Their contribution ensures the Jane McCormick Home will be fully furnished for the six consumers slated to move in this spring.  www.fundraising-ideas.org 

Runaway Runway Fashion Fundraiser Sparks Creative Recycyling

Columbia, SC - In fashion, the expression “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” usually refers to secondhand clothing. But in the case of Columbia Design League’s annual “Runaway Runway” fundraising fashion show, one man’s trash could literally become a showstopper. The design competition and recycle fashion show has showcased looks made from bubble wrap, fishing jigs, old pool covers, film canisters, 35mm slides, bicycle tire tubes and parachutes – and that’s just scratching the surface of materials used.  The show is the Design League’s biggest fundraiser. As an affiliate group of the Columbia Museum of Art, proceeds help pay for educational programming the museum offer throughout the year.  www.fundraising-ideas.org 

"Spay-shetti, No Balls" Fundraising Dinner and Auction Raises over $34K for Animal Clinic

Bluefield, WV — The fundraising drive to raise money to construct a spay/neuter clinic at the Mercer County Animal Shelter has met, and exceeded, its goal.  Saturday night’s fundraising event, “Spay-ghetti, No Balls,” raised more than $14,000, enough to meet two donation matches.  Grant’s Super-market’s challenge was to raise $10,000 by the end of the fundraiser Saturday night and they exceeded that figure, raising $14,016. Grant’s Supermarket presented a check for $10,000 during the event.  The shelter will also be receiving a matching contribution of $10,000 from the Mercer County Humane Society.  That’s $34,016 in all.  Plans are to start the renovations at the shelter to create the clinic this summer.  www.fundraising-ideas.org 

YMCA Fundraiser Brings in over $1M for New Pool

Vancouver, WA - The Woodland Community Swimming Pool Committee’s kickoff fundraising event on March 19 more than doubled the total funds raised in previous years.  At the event, held at Holland America Flower Farm, the committee raised $1.1 million, bringing its total to more than $2 million. Previously, the committee raised $995,000 of the $12.6 million campaign goal to build a community pool and YMCA in Woodland. The pool will sit beside Horseshoe Lake inside the Columbia-Willamette YMCA.  www.fundraising-ideas.org 

Cheerleaders hold Fundraisers to Get to Invitational

Casa Grande, AZ — After out-cheering their competition at a national cheerleading event earlier this month, one group of Casa Grande kids hopes to go to Tampa, Florida, in April to compete in the invitation-only D2 Summit. Because some members of the 10-person team do not have the funds for the trip, they’ve been working together on fundraisers to cover the cost of the journey. Earlier this month the team hosted a cheer camp for children as a fundraiser. They’ve also held car washes and plan raffles and other fundraising events.  www.fundraising-ideas.org 

Parents Get Creative with Fundraiser for New Playground

Bismarck, ND - The Bismarck school district plans to rip out about half of the playground equipment at Northridge Elementary this summer.  The district says it is unsafe.  Now, students, teachers and the school's PTO are figuring out how replace it. So, they're getting creative.  To kick off a fundraiser, they called the teachers and kids together and danced.  It's a parent-student dance.  The organizers want to keep a theme of exercise with their plans.  It fits with the need for the new playground.  www.fundraising-ideas.org