A local nonprofit that helps abused and neglected children navigate the court system is hoping to raise a lot more than just pennies this Saturday during its eighth annual Pennies from Heaven campaign.
The fundraiser, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sunny Isle Shopping Center, hopes to take in at least $25,000, thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsor Hovensa, which has pledged to match $15,000, penny for penny.
Established in 1993, the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a nonprofit working with children who have temporarily been removed from their family and placed into foster care while the court determines their future. They also work to ensure accountability of the children through government services, so that the children who have been removed from their homes don’t get lost in foster care system.
According to CASA Administrative Assistant Linda Evans, the funds will go to recruit, train and supervise staff and volunteer advocates who work directly with the children.
Saturday’s campaign includes the list of following events:
• CASA will have a collection booth set up at Gallows Bay Hardware from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at Cost U Less from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• At 9 a.m. there will be a bake sale at the Sunny Isle Kmart, with all proceeds going to the Penny Drive.
• At 11 a.m., the Sunny Isle amphitheater will have balloons and face painting, storytelling, and kid-friendly music by a DJ. Then, throughout the afternoon there will be entertainment by Charles H. Emanuel and Pearl B. Larsen dancers.
If you would like to donate any time of the year, you may drop by the CASA office, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Golden Rock.
For more information about the Pennies campaign and how you or your group can participate, call 718-CASA (2272).
