Fundraisers Net $24K for ‘Send a Kid to Camp’

The road to sending children in our area to camp began at a “celebrity” event, and so far has raised $24,000.

In early March the Prince William County / Manassas Boys & Girls Clubs kicked of their annual “Send a Kid to Camp” campaign with a celebrity bartending event. The special evening was spearheaded by the Campaign Chair Heather Mergler, C.E.O. of Advanced Title & Settlements, and Prince William County Potomac District Supervisor Maureen Caddigan.

The event was held in partnership with All American Steak House near Dumfries.

All tips from the evening and a portion of the proceeds went directly to support the Send a Kid to Camp campaign. Nearly $500 was raised from tips alone, and the All American Steak House donated $613.

The momentum of the campaign continued with donation of $7,500 from Bradley Leighton, from Justice Title & Escrow. The funds had been raised back in March from his pledge to sponsor two cents for every step taken during the Moon Bounce 2013 event, an event where children used pedometers to help count the 477,000 miles to the moon and back, each step counted as one mile. The event raised over $8,000 in total. 

The final campaign push was sparked at the Boys & Girls Clubs 24th Annual Steak ‘N Stake Dinner. At the dinner, Boys & Girls Club Regional Directors Keeyana Mahoney and Glenn Vickers, revealed the Send a Kid to Camp 10 Day Challenge. Eight team captains were appointed and team members competed to see who could raise the most money.

Team captains included:

Eric Williams- Exit Choice Realty

Heather Mergler- Advanced Title & Settlement

Nadia Pederson- Manassas Boys & Girls Club

Mark Worrilow- Confidence Realty

Enica Russell- Financial In-roads Inc.

C.H.A.S.E. the dog representing all three Prince William County Boys & Girls Clubs

Joe Frempong- Youth of the Year, Hylton Boys & Girls Club

Pete Dolan of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Walsh

When the results were tallied Team Captain Eric Williams came out on top, raising over $3,600 for the Send a Kid to Camp campaign.

Eric hovered near the top of the money raisers for a while, but toward the end of the 10-day campaign he had begun to slide. On the final day of the campaign, MMT, a division of WestStar Mortgage, came through with a donation of $2,700, putting his team in the lead.

“I do a lot of community service projects for several schools and organizations, but I can honestly say that our Send a Kid to Camp campaign has been one of the most personally rewarding…” Williams said. “The combined efforts of all the teams helped so many deserving kids attend camp this summer, and I’m eternally grateful for such an awesome opportunity to serve my community and for those that contributed to the campaign.”

Boys & Girls Club Board Members like Williams helped move campaigns like “Send A Kid To Camp” toward success. However in the midst of “Send a Kid to Camp” the clubs lost a dear friend in the passing of former Club Board Member Rodger Fitzgerald.

As a advocate of youth and board member, Robert Fitzgerald raised awareness and support for the clubs. Within his years of service one of his many selfless acts were bringing coffee cans filled with change donations to help pay for expenses in area club. In honor of Fitzgerald, coffee cans have been placed at the clubs in Manassas, Dale City and Dumfries to collect funds for “Send a Kid to Camp.”

“There are too many people to thank and too many lives that have been touched to be mentioned. We just want to say thank you” said Keeyana Mahoney.

Every supporter of the campaign will be invited to join the club at their Summer Camp Carnival on Wednesday, July 25 at 10 pm.. at the Hylton Boys & Girls Club in Dale City. Event organizers Forrest Parker Jr. and Connie Tweedie from the Club have planned a great day for the regions youth and campaign supporters attending the event.

The Send a Kid to Camp campaign raised over $24,000 and still growing. All proceeds from the campaign will help fund scholarships for summer campers in need of financial assistance. The Prince William County / Manassas Boys & Girls Clubs summer camp programs serve nearly 400 youth each year.

The camp is open 12 hours a day (6 a.m. – 6 p.m.) and includes one field trip and one trip to the pool each week. Summer Camp is a great way for kids to have a safe, fun, and active summer.