Those wanting to help the Boys and Girls Club of Livingston County through the annual Taste of Livingston County didn’t even have to leave their living rooms Saturday night.
A virtual event was held to raise money for the club with a silent and live auction, entertainment, door prizes, contests and a bag of goodies.
“Usually we have food and spirits and we were able to do nothing of that, other than virtually, so we are pretty excited on how successful it was,” said CEO Jodi Martin.
The Boys and Girls Club met a $10,000 match from Prairielands Foundation and with sponsorships, raised close to $35,000. Silent auction bids remain open until Sunday at 5 p.m.
Martin said they are trying to bridge the gap of what the kids don’t have. Donations allow them to serve more kids and offer a more diverse set of programs.
“This was all of Livingston County. We had people in Pontiac bidding.”
Some auction items included stays at Wells on Main and Hoffman House along with a spa basket and Fairbury Speedway framed picture. An African safari trip was an auction highlight, giving attendees the chance to walk with lions, cheetahs and other exotic animals. Sue Popejoy and Mike Norris served as emcees for the Facebook live event online.
The Taste of Livingston County is a fundraising tradition for the Prairie Central area each year as the club holds a duck race in Pontiac each summer. According to Martin, the club could use any donations moving forward with the increased cost of staying open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Since day one of the pandemic, the Boys and Girls Club of Livingston County has remained open while other clubs in the state closed.
Anyone wanting more information about the club can visit: https://boysandgirlscluboflivingstoncounty.org. A video is available on the website explaining what the club does.
