'50s music fundraiser for Howell on Saturday
By From staff reports
Published in News on April 2, 2010 1:46 PM
The public is being invited to relive the music of the 1950s while helping to raise funds for those being served by RHA Howell Walnut Creek Center.
Created in the early 1970s, Howell is home to 37 residents, ages 3 to 45, some of whom have grown up there, and who are severely mentally handicapped.
"Memories of the '50s" will be presented by Renee Hinson and her RJH Productions of Grantham Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Moffatt Auditorium at Wayne Community College. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. People may call Ms. Hinson at 689-9726 or 922-9278 to reserve tickets.
Raffle tickets also will be sold for $1 each for prizes to be given away during the event. The prizes are a $45 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse, $25 gift certificate to the Texas Steakhouse, $25 gift certificate to the Steak Barn and tickets to the RJH Productions' August show and its Christmas show.
"It is our first time doing something with them," Ms. Hinson said. "Hopefully it will work out and we can make it an annual event. So much funding (for the center) has been cut, we felt like we needed to do something extra.
"All of the proceeds will go to letting them buy things for the children."
The program will include music and songs and cast members will be dressed in 1950s era clothing. The stage will be set up as a 1950s soda shop.
"It is just a fun time to remember that era and it is for a good cause," she said.
"The proceeds go towards buying things for individuals that Medicaid does not let us use it for such as batteries and toys" said Mary Jo Creech, program director at the center. "Also it is for going out, a lot of things we have to do, but they still a lot of things they cannot buy with that (Medicaid) money.
"They went to the circus Wednesday and Thursday and bought cotton candy. They liked that."
It is the fifth year that the center has held a fundraising event. It originally had been planned for Jan. 30, but was postponed because of snow.