Clients of New Horizons stand outside of the Yadkinville location. Yadkin Valley Cruisers will hold a fundraising cruise in on June 30 to benefit the clients and staff at New Horizons Adult Day Services. The fundraising event will feature live music, classic cars and bikes, food and ice cream, silent auctions and a 50/50 raffle.
Clients of New Horizons Adult Day Services work in the facility’s thrift shop. The thrift shop is one of the main sources of income for the facility. The shop accepts donations of sale items.
Every year the Yadkin Valley Cruisers choose a charitable cause to raise money for during a special cruise in.
In years past the organization raised more than $30,000 for the Special Olympics.
This year the group decided to dedicate its efforts to another needy organization, New Horizons. Its venue was a cruise in at the Yadkin County Courthouse on June 30 at 4 p.m.
“We have the Special Olympics funding to such a point that we can take a break from that right now and this was our next choice as to where would be best to raise some money,” said David Gardner, Yadkin Valley Cruisers president.
Several of the Yadkin Valley Cruisers are very familiar with New Horizons because they have family members who take advantage of their services.
“We’ve got close to 100 members and some of our members have family that attend New Horizons or will be attending it soon,” said Bill Ledbetter, Yadkin Valley Cruisers member. “We’ve always taken care of people like this if we could.”
New Horizons is a non-profit organization that provides care and a safe place away from home for developmentally disabled adults. New Horizons takes its clients on field trips for various activities as well as providing group activities and social time at their facilities in Yadkinville.
“They go on outings on a regular basis and our activities director works really hard at planning the activities calendar in advance,” said Jerry Motsinger, a qualified professional at New Horizons. “Last month we went to the Winston-Salem Dash game and we also go to the fair every year. We get out in the community so our clients can interface in the community.”
The Cruisers will host a special cruise in featuring a silent auction, a 50/50 drawing, ice cream and grilled items and free live entertainment from Stan Bobbitt and Greater Love.
The auction will feature several items for bid. One item is a hotrod motor head V8 barbeque gas grill that was purchased and donated by the Cruisers. Tickets for this item are $5 a piece.
Another is an old plantation 45 inch round doily handmade and donated by Nellie Hobson. Tickets for this item are $1 a piece.
The 50/50 drawing will allow participants to enter their cash for a chance to win and if their number is drawn they will win half of the pot with the other half going to New Horizons.
“At last year’s fundraiser the entire amount got donated back to the Special Olympics,” Garner said.
All proceeds from food, prizes and vendor sales will go directly to New Horizons. Garner says that the Cruisers do not have a specific fundraising goal that they hope to accomplish. The group does have concerns that the lack of name recognition for New Horizons may lead to a lesser turnout for this year’s event.
“We’re uneasy as to the name recognition and how we’re going to be able to get people out to this event,” Garner said. “Special Olympics has instant recognition and that’s gone very well for us.”
To combat this concern each of the club members are selling raffles non-stop until the event and asking the New Horizons staff, clients and their families to spread the word.
“We’re just very grateful and very open to any kind of assistance we can get from the community,” Motsinger said. “It’s great that the Yadkin Valley Cruisers are able to and chose to do that. We’ve encouraged our consumers, their families and our staff to attend the event.”
Reach Lindsay Craven at 679-2341 or at lcraven@heartlandpublications.com.
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