2006 - The Portable Playhouse

2005 - The Volunteer Center of Bergen County

2004 - The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Valley Hospital

2003 - JCC Therapeutic Nursery

2006 Charity Press Release

2005 Charity Press Release

2004 Charity Press Release

2003 Charity Press Release

Every year, TMC of BC holds a Charity Event to benefit a children's charity. With the Board's approval, the President chooses the recipient. The Charity is held on a weekday evening, usually a Wednesday, in late April or early May. The evening's festivities include dinner, entertainment, a gift auction, and raffles. The Charity is a fun evening out for our members and their spouses, friends, family members, and co-workers. The ticket price is about $40.00 per person, and covers the costs associated with having the event: dinner, entertainment, centerpieces, and programs. All raffle and gift auction proceeds (collectively called "raffle money") benefit the Madeline Geisen Scholarship, the TMC Welfare Fund, and the Charity Recipient.

The amount of money we raise for the Charity Recipient depends solely on the success of the raffles. The success of the raffles depends on the quantity and quality of the prizes that make up the auction. This is where we concentrate our efforts all year, as more and better prizes ultimately mean a larger contribution to the recipient. Each prize could be a single item (a DVD player, necklace, or quilt, for example) or a collection of related items, sometimes referred to as a "basket" (arts & crafts materials, gourmet foods, or gardening supplies, for example).

We actively work to obtain prizes for our raffles in a few different ways:

• Members ask local merchants to donate prizes. We provide a "solicitation letter" that describes the event and recipient, and lets them know that their gift is tax-deductible.
• Members ask their company or their husband's company to make a donation. We provide a letter with the same information as the "solicitation letter," but geared to corporations.
• Members themselves donate prizes. We ask each member to donate something with a value of at least $20. You can contribute a gift you received, but never really liked; shop for a prize (don't forget to look for sales!); or make a monetary contribution, and let us do the shopping for you!
• Members bring "basket items" to meetings. These are typically small things that relate to a theme (like stationery, baking, or cleaning products) set by the Charity Committee.
• Charity Committee members go shopping with money donated by corporations, merchants, and members. These women are serious, experienced shoppers who know the ins and outs of early bird specials, coupons, and sales. They never pay retail prices, and can stretch the dollars further than you would believe!

Once we begin accumulating prizes, we start holding "Workshops." We hold some workshops to make centerpieces and favors. At Prize Workshops, we arrange baskets, create appealing presentations, and wrap our creations in cellophane and ribbons. We also tell jokes, have snacks, and catch up on what's new in each other's lives. We get a lot done for a worthy cause, and have fun at the same time!

Another factor in the success of the raffles is the number of people that attend the event (and therefore can purchase raffle and gift auction tickets). For this reason, we strongly encourage our members to sell as many tickets as they can. Some members choose to make the Charity a nice evening out for themselves and their husbands; others look at it as "girls' night out" and sell tickets to their girlfriends. All are welcome to attend - husbands, family, friends, and co-workers.

TMC offers much in the way of support, activities, and benefits for our members. The Charity is our primary project that benefits someone outside our club - but don't be fooled! The rewards to members that help with our Charity Event are great. They are the intangible variety - the friendships you'll build and fun you'll have while working with other members towards a common goal, and the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from helping others. As you can see, there are lots of different ways to lend a hand. No matter what your situation or time availability, everyone can support the Charity in some way.