Thanks for Sharing Our Dreams! (2014)

A steamy night in northwest Ohio saw another successful Share Our Dreams fundraiser for Northwest Ohio Community Shares. Over 200 folks came out to celebrate and support the work of our member agencies. Toledo Harley-Davidson once again hosted us at their showroom and parking lot on West Central Avenue on Saturday, June 28, 2014.

Shaun Hegarty of 13abc served as the event’s emcee, and Jack Amlin of Amlin Auctions ran the live auction. The event also featured a silent auction, a $1,000 cash raffle, live music by Fu5ion, catering by Big C’s Smoked Barbeque, and a cash bar, including a martini and cigar bar–all in the spirit of the Blue Hawaii theme.

Jack Amlin clearly enjoyed auctioning such unique items as a dinner at Final Cut with former UM Football sensation Jordan Kovacs, a behind-the-scenes tour of TV hit Hardcore Pawn, a chance to DJ with FM 92.5’s Morning Rush, and more. In addition, a silent auction featured art by local artists, numerous baskets and many one-of-a-kind opportunities like accompanying a Nature’s Nursery staff person on a raptor release.

The event grossed more than more than $21,000. Event Chair Dawn Christen, a lawyer with Gallon, Takacs, Boissoneault and Schaffer, said that “expenses were kept to a minimum with dozens of volunteers donating their time, a martini bar sponsored by Buckeye Vodka, and the spacious venue at Toledo Harley-Davidson, so most of the funds raised by the event will go to help the 29 agencies in our federation.”

Ms. Christen added that “we were fortunate to have Shaun Hegarty back with us as celebrity emcee.”

Northwest Ohio Community Shares is a federation of local non-profit organizations with a common goal of improving life in the greater Toledo area. During the fall campaign, Community Shares provides additional choices for charitable giving in workplace campaigns. Those funds are distributed among the agencies in the federation. The main goal of Community Shares is to provide increased funding and community exposure for its member organizations.

After the fall workplace campaign, the Share Our Dreams event is the major source of funding for Community Shares.

“Overall,” Ms. Christen said, “there was lots of tropical fun for this outdoor summer event that raises money for the critically important work done by our member agencies.”

And as they say Thank You in Hawaii: Mahalo!!