Community fund raising event at Anthony's of Anacortes raises $17,000

Eight local community programs will benefit from the $ 17,000 raised March 21 at the Anacortes Rotary Club annual community dinner, hosted by Anthony’s at Cap Sante Restaurant.
Rotary-Anthony’s event brings in  $17,000
 
Eight local community programs will benefit from the $ 17,000 raised March 21 at the Anacortes Rotary Club annual community dinner, hosted by Anthony’s at Cap Sante Restaurant.
 
Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the following:
 
  • Anacortes High School Life Skills Class, laptops for the four paraeducators helping special education students.
  • Hospice of the Northwest Foundation, bedside charting devices for the Anacortes team.
  • Anacortes Family Center, support for women, children and families in crisis.
  • Fidalgo DanceWorks, Autism Movement Therapy classes and classes for students with special needs.
  • Anacortes Robotics Booster Club, support for the five after-school teams from elementary school to high school. 
  • Anacortes Middle School Band, new tuba.
  • Cap Sante High School, a science, and seamanship-oriented day at sea with Salish Sea Expeditions for 28 students.
  • AHS Spanish Class, bilingual Spanish/English readers from Scholastic.
 
“From the bottoms of our hearts, our club members want to thank Anthony’s and our generous community supporters,” said Bonnie Bowers, Anacortes Rotary president-elect and dinner organizer. “The dinner funds will be used by eight great local groups, so the money truly will be making a difference in people's lives.”
 
At the event, Rotarians presented Anthony’s owner Budd Gould with a hand-crafted ceramic plate made by Island View Elementary School students.  To produce the plate, the students used a new kiln funded by proceeds from the 2017 Anthony’s dinner.
 
Each year, the staff at Anthony’s creates a special menu for dinner guests at the community banquet. Rotary Club members credit Anthony’s for opening its doors to the Anacortes community to generate funds for a range of community causes.
 
“The Anthony's organization goes all-out with their team-members, merging all of their skills for a very successful and fun event,” said Club President Krista Oicles.
 
For the past seven years Anthony's has opened the restaurant to the Anacortes Rotary Club for an evening.  As a result, all proceeds from the sale of tickets go to local charities and community groups.  Past recipients include the Anacortes Boys & Girls Club, Gentry House, Senior Activity Center, Anacortes Senior Activity Foundation, Friends of Fidalgo Pool, Friends of the Anacortes Library and the Salvation Army.
 
Since the first Anthony’s event in 2011, the Anacortes Rotary Club has raised and donated nearly $150,000 for local programs and groups through this annual event.