Annual Fundraising Events
Angel Tree of Lights Celebration Concert
About ten days before Christmas we host what has traditionally been our last annual fundraising event of the year with our Angel Tree of Lights Celebration Concert. Our students enjoy singing Christmas carols for their parents, friends and family as they eagerly look forward to the holidays. By all means, they include our wonderful donors in their circle of friends.
The photo on the left is from one of our previous, outdoor Main Street concerts, and depicts one of our former students who has since graduated from our program, with the CDC's previous Executive Director, Meridith C. Tilp. For those of you who don't recognise Meredith, she is the taller one in the reindeer costume.
This year we gave back to our friends and loyal donors, with our children's handcrafted, personalized ornaments with the names of their friends and family members, those loved ones no longer here for another Christmas Season, and yes we even honored their pets. We requested that no donations be made. This was a gift from the heart by our children.
We know that only a few of our many donors and friends were able to join us on a weekday afternoon at 5:00pm. For all who were unable to join us in person, we include a video of our 2009 concert finale.
Theatre Event
On an annual basis for those years that an appropriate venue is available, we host a Sunday afternoon theatre party at the Barn Theatre in Montville exclusively for our friends and donors. Our last theatre event was enthusiastically received with the rousing performance of "It's a Grand Night For Singing." This May will be our exclusive performance of "The Producers."Fundraising Dinner
With the exception of last month's Best of the Chefs Dinner held in Mountain Lakes at the Mountain Lakes club, our very successful dinners have been held at the Station Restaurant in Mountain Lakes. On occasion we have held two dinners in the same year, but it is typically an annual fundraising dinner.
As many of our donors know from their thank you cards this month, the Best of the Chefs Dinner was our most profitible fundraisng event in our nine year history. Additionally, as we always hope, the dinner was also a culinary and social gathering success.
Annual Golf Tournament
From an administrative and logistical viewpoint, our Annual Golf Fundraising Tournament has been the most challenging event to stage. Until last month's dinner, the Golf Tournament had been the CDC's most profitable event; however, it is also the event with our highest operational costs and attendance has decreased in the last two seasons.
It is our only fundraising event in which we have to seek divine intervention for good weather since unlike our next and last fundraising event, the Golf Tournament can't be re-scheduled.
Car Wash Fundraising Event
In terms of revenue the car wash and angel tree events are not large fundraising events, but they are very important to our students since these are the two events in which their personal involvement is so direct and meaningful and fosters a real sense of personal accomplishment.For each of our fundraising events a few students are chosen to welcome our donor participants, answer questions about themselves and our programs, and have an opportunity to meet the people who make it all possible for them to have a safe, enriching after-school home