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Updated: Nov 27th, 2008 - 06:45:41
Local News
If generosity is a poker game, the local community has called Marion Community Foundation’s bluff. So says Brad Bebout, president of Marion Community Foundation, regarding the overwhelming support for Marion’s Operation Community Spirit.
Marion Community Foundation had offered to match, dollar-for-dollar, all cash contributions to Operation Community Spirit up to $10,000 – double the match the local Foundation offered last year – but the contributions have surpassed even that.
“This is like a big community poker game,” says Bebout. “Based upon last year’s match of $5,000, the ‘players’ at Marion Community Foundation thought an initial bet of $10,000 was enough to win the day this year; however, the community saw our bet of $10,000 and raised it another $2,000. So, MCF was compelled to call the community’s raise. The result? A big win for the food pantries and families in our community.”
On the actual day of Operation Community Spirit, the last Saturday in October, $10,923 in contributions was received in support of the cause – to fight hunger in Marion. Marion Community Foundation was aware that another fund raiser was yet to be held at River Valley High School and would be further contributing to the cause. In anticipation of this, they made plans to match funds from this event as well.
“Even though our initial offer of $10,000 had already been met, it didn’t seem right not to match River Valley’s effort, too,” explains Bebout. “So, the Foundation arranged to continue the offer to match contributions dollar-for-dollar.”
The fund raiser at River Valley High School was a seniors’ guys vs. girls volleyball game, organized by the community service student group known as SMILE. Coordinating the event were Austin Jacob and Travis Carter. The event raised $650 for Operation Community Spirit.
“Several of the guys in my class were discussing ways to make our senior year memorable,” explains Jacob. “We decided we wanted to do a fund raiser and involve the school.” Jacob’s sister, Kate, a River Valley graduate, had started SMILE two years prior. The informal organization, which stands for ‘Serving Many In Loving Energy,’ is a student-run, all volunteer group which focuses on small, meaningful projects.
The volleyball game pitted 15 senior ladies against 15 senior guys. The game, held during the last hour of the school day, had a $1 admission price. “Practically the whole school turned out,” says Jacob. “We also sold t-shirts for the event to raise more money.”
SMILE’s efforts, along with additional corporate contributions, took the Operation Community Spirit total past the $12,000 level. “Marion Community Foundation is pleased to contribute its full $12, 000,” says Bebout. “And, the total amount available to food pantries in the community will be about $24,000.”
The Operation Community Spirit committee will decide how the $24,000 will be divided among the eight participating community food pantries, proportionately based upon the size of the various pantries. “The more persons a food pantry serves, the larger their share of the cash,” explains Bebout. “The OCS committee advises MCF how to divide up the cash.” The contributions are expected to be distributed in December.
According to Marion Senior Center’s Linda White, coordinator for Operation Community Spirit, more than seven tons of nonperishable food items were collected, in addition to the large amount of cash gifts.
“Using Mid-Ohio Food Banks formula for donations -- 1 pound = 1 meal and $1 = 2 meals -- we are able to provide 62,000 or more meals,” White says. “We can all be proud in what we have accomplished! There is no doubt we truly made a tangible difference and, just as important, we made the intangible difference of bringing our community together for a common goal, thus creating the ‘Spirit’ part of the project.”
© Copyright 2008 by Marion.Net
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