Community Service

2024 Pohanka Tree Auction

We want to thank all our members for their generosity and willingness to help us by providing gift cards, ornaments, gifts under the tree and monetary donations. We could not have done it without you! The NCOF tree is going to be awesome. The Gala, which includes a Silent Auction, is scheduled for Saturday, December 14th at the Pohanka Nissan of Fredericksburg Dealership from 6:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $55. Online bidding on the trees can begin as soon as the trees are placed at Pohanka, which will be on Tuesday, November 19th. Information as to dates and times for viewing should be posted on the Tree Challenge website shortly. As soon as we know, an email will be sent to members. Everyone is invited to visit the dealership, located at 10665 Patriot Highway to view the trees. You can also vote online for your favorite tree. The tree with the most votes gets a prize! An email will be sent out when we have the final tally as to what our tree sold for and the total sum that will have been earned for .

2023 Bunco and Bites

The Community Service Committee is happy to announce that our 2nd annual Bunco & Bites was a great success! Our 2023 Bunco & Bites Committee members were: Dorraine Petras, Chair; KathyMarcus, Co-Chair; Nina Byrnside, Hospitality; Suzy Wrona, Marketing; Alina Otal, Penny Raffle; and Dona Hall, Grant Coordinator. In addition, we are grateful to Cindy Milligan who stepped up to assist us because we were one person down. Eighty tickets were sold. Seventy-two guests attended. We expected 74 players that day and only 2 were no-shows. There were 6 other paid players who intended to play but gave us advance notice that they would not be able to attend. Of the 72 attendees, 41 were members and 31 were guests. We had 3 guests sign up to become members that day ( 1 individual & 2 as a family). Two more took applications and said that they will fill it out and drop it in the mail.

I am so thrilled to report that we netted $2,436.71!!! The following is the financial breakdown:

● $2,187.00 collected from tickets and donations

● $445.00 collected from the Penny Raffle

● $183.00 collected from the 50/50 Raffle

● Total expenses were $378.29 ($300 was prize $)

● We made $463.22 more than last year (2022 B&B profit $1,973.49)

A huge thank you to our generous sponsors this year: Thrivent, Texas Roadhouse, Wegmans, Publix, Durango’s, Staples, and the Ruritan Club. We want to thank all of our generous members who were essential in making this event possible. Our members donated all of the Penny Raffle items & baskets, made donations to the Door Prizes, lent us the card tables, donated food, donated their time, made monetary donations and the list goes on. So many were instrumental in inviting guests to play. This success would not be possible without the tremendous amount of contributions, help, and support by so many of our wonderful and generous members. Thank you all! All the attendees left with smiles on their faces and a good feeling about having a fun time and assisting us in supporting local charities and that’s all that matters. We heard nothing but positive comments. We plan to send out a thank you to the guests who came and to our sponsors.

Bunco and Bites 09/22

The Community Service Committee is happy to announce that the Bunco and

Bites Charity Event was a great success! Forty-six guests attended on Wednesday.

September 28, 2022 at the Ruritan Club. Fifty-eight people wanted to play but

twelve were unable for one reason or another. Four individuals specifically gave a

donation.

We had hoped for a net profit of $1,200-$1500. We are thrilled to announce that

we netted $1973.49!!! The success of this event would not have been possible

without the tremendous amount of contributions, assistance and support by so

many members. We would like to thank Dona Hall, Bonnie Weber, Maureen

Lintott, Alina Otal, Debbie Simpson, Cora Steele, Dede Watkins, Frank Byrnside,

Carol Brooks, Lynda Mills, Judy Schneider, Dale Woodard, Norma Moore, Peggi

Howell, Esther Hildreth, Joan Hradecky, Sharon Weaver, Maria D’Amico, Kathy

Welch. These members either gave their expertise to the success of the event,

made contributions to the Silent Auction, donated food, volunteered use of

tables, helped with setup or cleanup, or made monetary donations. There were

several others behind the scenes who we don’t know about who contributed to

the Silent Auction and the Fall Basket Raffle. We also appreciate those who

attended the event and played bunco. Thank you all for generously sharing your

time, energy and support for this event. You gave us a helping hand when we

needed it, and the work supports our worthy local charities. We are so grateful to

each and every one of you.

To date we have had nothing but positive comments. A thank you note to the

guests who attended the event will be sent out along with a comment for

feedback. We are considering planning this event in 2023, so the feedback from

players will be helpful.

July 2022 Fundraiser

The Maltese Brewery

The Maltese Brewery Event to raise money for the Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue Foundation was held on Saturday, July 16. The 50/50 raffle netted $356...$178 went to the foundation and $178 was given to a very happy customer named Kim. Our Esther Hildreth won the basket donated by the brewery. The $1/pour amounted to $267. Total donation of $445 will be presented in person to the foundation. It was a very successful event. The food truck, Stafford Food Security, which donates all of its proceeds to feed children and their families, did a great job. Food was really good and they delivered it fresh into the brewery. A member of the Foundation Board, Justin Langridge, came and expressed his appreciation. He said a picture would be shown on the foundation’s website. Tim McLaughlin, Chancellor Representative of the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors, also came to show his support,wearing his shirt decorated with Spotsylvania named fire engines. We were very happy to see NCOF members and their husbands. We love it when the members support our projects and we have been very lucky in the past with donations and participation.

November 2021 fundraiser

Major Troy Skebo, Kathy.Suzy, Sheriff Roger Harris, Dorraine, nina,, Bobby Cook, Stephen Matters and Sgt. Larry Dibella.

On November 6, 2021 NCOF and Maltese Brewing Company launched the charitable event called "Project Lifesavor" at the brewery. Stephen Matters, head brewer, created a special brew for this event. "Lifesavor Lite Ale", and the brewery generously donated $1/pour of this special brew. The day began with a Safari tour of the brewery. Then members sampled Lifesavor Lite Ale, either plain or were able to add pineapple or pineapple habanero flavor to the brew. At noon the brewery opened to the public. We were able to connect with people that have experienced or are experiencing loved ones with Alzheimer's or autism. We listened to their stories and informed them of this wonderful program, Project Lifesaver. A huge thank you to all our members who attended, supported and contributed to the success of Project Lifesavor.

On March 1, a check for $529 was presented to Spotsylvania County Sheriff, Roger Harris, from the proceeds of the two 50/50 raffles and generous donations from NCOF members and patrons of the Maltese Brewing Company. Bobby Cook, co-owner of the Brewery and Head Brewer Stephen Matters, also presented a check for $800, which was from the proceeds of the $1/pour.

Thanksgiving boxes for healthy generations seniors