Every Penny Does Make A Difference!
A Big Thank You to all those who made “deposits” to Pennies for PARC!
Sunday, July 29, 2007 PARC participants from Laramie Group Home and Millbrook Group Home held a Pennies for PARC fundraiser at SAM’S CLUB in Peoria. SAM’S Club helps local organizations through The Community Grant program that allows local not-for-profit organizations to hold fundraisers outside their local stores. SAM’S CLUB can elect to match a portion of the funds raised up to $1,000. PARC is grateful to our local SAM’S CLUB, located at 4100 W Willow Knolls Drive in Peoria, for partnering with PARC to support our mission to provide choices for a quality life to individuals with developmental disabilities.
The Pennies for PARC fundraiser was organized by Sara McDermott, PARC QMRP (Qualified Mental Retardation Professional), and Diahann Patterson, PARC Group Home Manager. Sara and Diahann assisted PARC participants in recycling empty gallon milk jugs into colorful PARC piggy banks. Sara, Diahann, Deb Bloomfield (PARC staff), Stacy Harris (PARC Staff) and a full crew of PARC participants manned the exit at SAM’S CLUB in Peoria from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 29th asking passersby to give Pennies to PARC.
PARC wishes to thank all the staff of SAM’S Club who made us feel so welcome and even came out and brought us bottled water to make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed to make this event such a success!
We are fortunate to operate in a community as giving as Peoria where requests for pennies turned into a total $617.25 in donations! It just goes to show that every penny really does count! The giving doesn’t end there, just like money in a bank, the money raised at this Pennies for PARC will grow through the generosity of SAM’S CLUB as they will match the money raised at this event AND our next Pennies for PARC scheduled for Sunday, October 7, 2007 at SAM’S CLUB, up to $1,000. Please mark your calendars!
SAM’S CLUB support of PARC continues through their participation as auction item donors to our upcoming 2007 Arts in the PARC Auction Benefit scheduled for Friday, September 28, 2007. To learn more about the event, visit http://www.PARCway.org/goto/2007arts.
Wal-Mart also extends their support to PARC through the Community Grant program by partnering with PARC for our annual PARC ‘N’ Play event. The 2007 PARC ‘N’ Play Super Cruise-In is scheduled for Saturday, September 15, 2007 in the parking lot of Wal-Mart Supercenter located at Allen and Townline roads. To learn more about the event, visit http://parcway.org/goto/2007cruise. Wal-Mart will match the money raised at this event, up to $1,000.
More than 80,000 grants, totaling $61 million, were awarded through the Community Grant program in 2006. Additional fund were also raised by participating community organizations who received the matching funds. To learn more about how Wal-Mart and SAM’S CLUB support our community visit http://www.walmartfoudnation.org.
Support from the community and business partners like SAM’S CLUB and Wal-Mart have a direct impact in the Peoria community by helping us maintain, strengthen, and enhance the programs and services PARC offers! To learn more about PARC and how you can participate with us, visit www.PARCway.org. Together, we make a positive difference in our community!
