United Way of Lake County Raises over $30,000 at 15th Annual Celebrity Server Fundraiser
March 20, 2018 – Mentor, OH – United Way of Lake County (UWLC) hosted their 15th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebrity Server Fundraiser March 15th from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the American-Croatian Lodge in Eastlake. Hundreds of community leaders, officials, CEO’s and businesspersons turned out in support of the organization’s largest annual fundraiser to benefit Lake County’s most vulnerable residents.
This year’s event raised over $30,000. According to UWLC President & CEO Jennifer McCarty, “The fundraiser continues to remain popular year after year and we had another great turnout. In a populace with nearly 29,000 residents who live in poverty, it’s heartwarming to see our community leaders, agencies, business persons and residents come together to help those in need. Collectively, we make a difference, and the money raised will impact lives right here in Lake County.”
Radio personality Jeremy Verdi of Cougar 93.7 served as MC and DJ, with guests taking their turn at karaoke to belt out Irish tunes and other favorites. A traditional Irish lunch of corned beef, cabbage and all the fixings was served. Irish auction winners walked away with prizes that included a 43” 4K Smart HDTV, Huffy bicycle, Ohio State football tickets, outdoor grill, golf passes and a lot more. The winner of the 50/50 raffle took home six-hundred and eighty dollars.
Nearly 550 guests attended this year’s fundraiser. “From the stage looking out onto the event floor, it was a sea of green. Our guests have fun with the theme and there’s no shortage of outlandish attire or behavior,” said UWLC Marketing and Communications Director Tami Lewis. “Celebrity Server Spence Kline’s table made him sing karaoke for their tips. The CEO of Beacon Health was a great sport, courageously singing Helen Reddy’s ‘I am Woman,’ as guests sat in glee.”
A long list of Celebrity Servers were on-hand to raise donations for UWLC by waiting tables to earn tips. All three Lake County Commissioners, Dan Troy, Jerry Cirino and John Hammercheck took on the role. Others included Eastlake Mayor Dennis Morely; Willowick Mayor Rich Regovich; Director, Economic Development for the city of Mentor, Ron Traub; Mentor City Councilman-at-Large, Scott Marn of Benjamin F. Edwards; Mentor City Councilman Matthew Donovan; Wickliffe City School District Superintendent Joseph Spiccia; Mentor Public Schools Interim Superintendent Bill Porter; Laketran General Manager Ben Capelle; Lake County Captains General Manager Neil Stein; Dr. Lori-Stevic Rust, award- winning keynote speaker, author and national healthcare consultant; Owners of Ladies and Gentlemen Salon & Spas and The Brown Aveda Institute, Ed and Nancy Brown; and many more.
Other notable guests in attendance included Judge Colleen O'Toole of the Eleventh District Court of Appeals, Lake County Probate Court Judge Mark Bartolotta, former Lake County Commissioner Kevin Malecek of Lakeland Community College.
According to McCarty, “Too many Lake County residents live in need every day. I was moved by the generosity of our guests and their desire to make a difference. We had so much support from large companies like The Lubrizol Corporation and Avery Dennison; to agencies like the Lake County Council on Aging, Crossroads and Beacon Health; to organizations including CT Consultants, Lake Health, Leadership Lake County, and even the Willoughby-Eastlake Pubic Libraries. It was a great day for our community.”
The Lubrizol Corporation was the fundraiser’s presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors included Lake Health, SMART Local #33, The News-Herald, Eye Lighting International the Lake County Captains.