“Advance purchase of tickets is encouraged,” said Jennifer Seward, CEO of the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds where the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Valley Fire Fundraiser will be held on Sunday, Oct. 25 from 4 to 8 p.m.
She added, “We don’t want to run out of the delicious spaghetti and taco dinners prepared by the Redwood Empire Lions Club and Chavez Market.”
The $15 tickets (children under 6 are admitted free) are available at the Mendocino Book Company, Chavez Market on South State Street in Ukiah and Mendo Mill locations in Ukiah, Lakeport, Clearlake, Willits and Fort Bragg.
As an additional bonus, Mike Mayfield, owner of Mendo Mill received confirmation that Stanley/Black & Decker/DeWalt will match each ticket purchase at Mendo Mill with an additional five dollars.
Mayfield noted people are coming in to purchase a dozen or more tickets each in case their friends and coworkers can’t get to one of the ticket locations.
One Valley Fire ad hoc committee member plans to take orders from her colleagues and friends to make sure they get a ticket to what she predicts will be the community event of the year.
All of the proceeds from the ticket sales, auction, raffle, T-shirts and drink sales will go to those most in need as a result of the horrific fires in Lake County. North Coast Opportunities, the community action nonprofit agency for Mendocino and Lake counties, is administering all the applications and directly sending checks.
“We have received more than 1,000 applications,” said Patty Bruder, executive director of NCO. “So far more than 500 have been processed and checks for $1,500 each have been mailed.”
NCO is not charging for overhead and has tapped staff, Americorps volunteers, and other community volunteers to help verify need, loss and process the applications. “Our goal is to get those in need cash as soon as possible for their immediate needs such as medicine, gas, toiletries, shelter and food.”
Neighbor Helping Neighbor was an appropriate slogan for the committee that is putting together the fundraising dinner, music, auction and raffle event. It turns out that the slogan belongs to Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits, which trademarked the phrase. As partners in the Valley Fire Fundraiser, Howard Hospital gave permission to use the slogan.
“In addition to the ticket match,” said Mayfield, “Stanley Black & Decker/DeWalt will contribute 10 percent of Mendo Mill sales of all of their products for the month of October.” The products include chain saws, drills, tool sets, weed blowers, kitchen appliances, storage containers, weed eaters, shop vacs, and sanders, to name a few.
For more information on the event, call 467-3230 or email lm@ncoinc.org.
