HOW TO MAKE HALF A MILLION $ AND HAVE FUN DOING IT

Craig ScottHere's the story from the Grand Bend Club's Autumn Indulgence fundraiser.

Over 10 years ago club members were tired of standing on the windy street corners selling Rotary raffle tickets - so they tried to think of a better way. Club members Roger Wallis and Craig Scott wondered how to raise more club money and have all the efforts culminate in one evening. They thought - Let's have a fundraising dinner with a great meal including silent and live auctions. Unfortunately in a small community like Grand Bend there is really no public venue or restaurant large enough to host such an event. However, there is the popular Huron Country Playhouse that runs in the summer months nearby. What about having an event behind the scenes and on the stages? The next problem was - how can a small club of 40 members host a dinner gala for 300-400 people in a theatre that was a converted barn where there were no cooking or dining facilities?

Well through a lot of ingenuity and almost a year of planning, the first event was held in September, 2004 and it was an overwhelming success. Since then, this evening of fun, food and entertainment has grown to be the social event of the year in Grand Bend. Starting with a BBQ steak & maritime lobster tail served by Rotary members and volunteers, there is music for dancing and a variety of fundraising activities. It seems the whole community pitches in to support this event. As well as the club members and their partners, there are over 100 volunteers who act as servers, cooks, garbage collectors, parking lot attendants, etc. And believe it or not everyone has fun and it helps to draw the club members and the community closer together.

Below are a few quotes from past guests who attended;
 “The community of Grand Bend is indebted to the many generous sponsors who helped make Rotary’s Autumn Indulgence possible. The happy crowd of attendees, the army of volunteers, the unusual auction items, the classy entertainment, the amazingly tasty food, the many thousands of dollars raised for charity, all these and more, are testimony to the benefits this unique event brings to Grand Bend.”

“I hosted a table at the very first Autumn Indulgence, and every year I look forward to doing it again. The event always sells out and just keeps on getting better. The involvement of the community is awesome—it’s 1000 percent a community event”

If your club is interested in trying something new as a fundraiser – for more information either go to autumnindulgence.com or contact one of our event co-conveners either Craig craigscott55@gmail.com or Roger rogergrandbendrotary@yahoo.ca .