Higher Hopes fundraiser offers something for everyone
WARSAW – Higher Hopes upcoming fundraiser is more than just an auction.
“I always tell people to come for the auction and stay for the fun,” said Tom Roahrig, who runs Higher Hopes with his wife Peggy. “There is something for everyone.”
The Higher Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center 15th Annual Auction will be held Saturday, Dec. 5, at River View High School. Doors open at 4 p.m. and the auction begins at 5 p.m. It is sponsored by River View FFA and auctioneers will be Wayne Yoder, Andrew Yoder Jr. and Mel-Dave.
“This is our biggest fundraiser,” Tom said. “It keeps Higher Hopes going. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun. We come home dead tired, but we know at the end of the night everybody was happy.”
Proceeds from the event help the Roahrigs with the general operating expenses of offering therapeutic riding opportunities to children and adults with disabilities and keep fees at a minimum for participants.
Those who attend the auction will have the opportunity to bid on more than 200 items, plus themed baskets, tack items and tools.
“We have no words to express how much we appreciate the community’s donations to the auction,” Tom said. “With everything that’s going on this year we’ve found that people are giving even more and that has floored us. Papa John’s Pizza normally gives us two or three pizzas and this year they are giving us eight. We appreciate everyone and the huge turnout we get. I think the auction gets more popular every year.”
Tom is excited about many of the items up for bid including fire rings from McWane Ductile and some of the gift baskets.
“What we try to do with things like the Kalahari Resort passes is make a travel package out of them,” Tom said. “We try to make sure you can have some gift cards for dinner or gas and can stay all night. We also have a nice package with dinner from John (at the Warehouse Steak n Stein), a stay at Hillside Cabins and a nice bottle of wine. Peggy and the other women spend a lot of time putting these together.”
The auction also features a 50/50 drawing, silent auction, cake auction, saddle raffle and door prizes.
“Our cake auction is a little different,” Tom said. “You don’t just get the cake; you also get what is under it in the envelope. They could have gift certificates from Bob Evans, Hardee’s, McDonald’s or a variety of other places under them.”
Auction items also don’t have to go home with you. They can be donated to worthy causes.
“The big thing I like about the auction is that it’s not just for Higher Hopes,” Tom said. “We also help (River View’s) Country Christmas.”
During the auction there is a big sleigh set up in the front of the room and if people buy items that come in multiples they can have the extra put in the sleigh or even buy something just to donate. Toys in the sleigh get donated to schools who take part in Country Christmas and any horse items are used at Higher Hopes.
“Country Christmas is for kids with special needs and we try to pick a different school each year (that attends) for them to take the toys back,” Tom said. “There are no strings attached. They can use them in their classroom or give them to kids whose families need some help with Christmas.”
There also have been two opportunities where the person who won the saddle donated it to Higher Hopes.
“They told us to take it back up to the barn and use it for the kids,” Tom said. “This is more than an auction. It’s a time for people to get together and realize that there is more to life than just us.”
Of course there will also be some great food such as pulled pork, beef and noodles, chicken noodle soup, homemade ice cream, and pies and cakes of every kind.
“Come hungry and go home with a full stomach and a heart full of joy,” Tom said.
For more information on the auction or Higher Hopes, call 740-824-4183 or 740-502-4433 or visit www.higherhopestrc.org.
Category: People & Places
