STORY BY ISABELLE BRAUN
Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services hosts Dinner Auction, raises $5,500
Eighty-nine people attended the Seventh Annual Options Dinner Auction at the Rose Garden Banquet Hall on Sept. 14.
According to Executive Director Jennifer Hecker, just over $5,500 was raised for the non-profit organization that works with victims and survivors and their families of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence and human trafficking.
“We did fall short of our fundraising goal,” Executive Director Jennifer Hecker said. “I think a lot of that was just due to sluggish ticket sales, and I think there may have been some other competing things going on over the weekend.”
In the past, Hecker said the event has averaged between 120 and 150 attendees, and because the group fell shorts of its goal of $25,000, the Board will evaluate whether to sponsor future Dinner Auctions.
“There are so many Dinner Auctions now in town,” Hecker said. “We always want to look to what is going to draw people in and get people excited about coming to support our mission. That is something the Board, our fundraising committee in particular, will be really looking at this year.”
Though their goal was not met, Hecker feels good about the results and believes there were generous donors within the community.
“The community members who came out to show their support for our mission and the victims and survivors we served was tremendous,” Hecker said. “We’re always blessed to have that kind of support in our community. I think the more we get the word out, and the better we get at advertising, more people will become aware of the event(s).”
To get involved with any Options event, one can join the Board or work as a volunteer for different events.
“There are lots of different ways people can become involved,” Hecker said. “People can join our Board. We do have a fundraising committee, or by joining the full Board. Volunteering, if you’re not sure you have the time to be on the Board, you can volunteer for a single event.”