Club Distributes Proceeds from “The Big Drop” Fundraiser
The Big Drop was held without the usual audience to watch a shower of ping pong balls, but the outcome didn’t change: Thousands of dollars will support kids in the Cedar Rapids area.
Larry Kudej, Cedar Rapids Rotary West president, presented $5,000 checks this week HACAP and Van Buren elementary.
The Big Drop is a unique fundraiser where Rotary West members sell numbered ping pong balls which are dropped en masse to select a winner. The Big Drop is usually held outdoors in front of a large crowd at places like the Downtown Farmers Market or Kernels Stadium. This year, the balls came down indoors at the new Olympic Theater in New Bo, with only club helpers in attendance, masked and socially distanced because of the pandemic.
But the end result is the same: Rotary clubs assisting organizations in our community.
"Rotary's motto is Service Above Self,” Kudej says. “Cedar Rapids Rotary West takes that to heart when it comes to fundraising to help kids. With the realities of COVID and the derecho impacting our kids, we believe both Van Buren and HACAP can put the money we have raised to good use."
Amy Evans, Van Buren principal, says the funds will be used to purchase items like yoga mats so students can be comfortable learning outside, and other materials to facilitate learning within the new rules brought about by the pandemic.
Jan Hanks, volunteer coordinator at Van Buren, says the partnership between the school and Rotary West is truly special. “(Rotary has) really come through for us all these years and made the impossible, possible! By partnering with Van Buren, they aid in breaking through many inequities related to socioeconomic status and are contributing to our goal for ALL of our students to flourish equally.”
The funds awarded to HACAP will go to support the organization’s food programs for children.
Sharon Laird of Cedar Rapids was the lucky grand prize winner, and walks away with $3,000.
Rotary clubs are traditionally comprised of members from a variety of businesses and occupations, and to pull off this project, the skills of all members were tapped.
The event will raise funds to purchase backpacks and school supplies for youth served by Families Helping Families and Van Buren Elementary.
Big Drop sponsors include Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, IMON, Oasis Paychex, Skogman, Bankers Trust, Anderson Bogart, Brecke Mechanical, RSM, Hills Bank, Larry and Kim Kudej, Greenstate, and The Olympic South Side Theater.
About Cedar Rapids Rotary West:
Chartered in 1980, Rotary West is Cedar Rapids’ second oldest Rotary club, meeting weekly at noon Wednesdays at the African American Museum of Iowa. Rotary West members come from a variety of businesses and disciplines. The club supports a variety of programs, including the HD Youth Center, Van Buren School, the Washington High School Interact Club, and Kirkwood scholarships. Rotary West also funded a well-drilling project that brought fresh water for the very first time to the village of Ave-Afiadenyigba, Ghana. Visit Rotary West on the web at http://www.crwestrotary.org.
About Rotary International:
Rotary is a volunteer organization with 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. It initiates humanitarian projects that address today’s challenges affecting the world today, such as hunger, poverty, and illiteracy. Rotary club members represent a cross-section of business and professional leaders around the world. These 1.2 million men and women donate their expertise, time, and funds to support local and international projects that help people in need and promote understanding among cultures. Rotary International is the worldwide association of Rotary clubs united under a motto of Service Above Self. Rotary’s flagship program is its effort to protect children against polio. It aims to eradicate the disease from the world. Visit Rotary on the web at http://www.rotary.org.