PLEASE JOIN THE TWO HUNDRED CLUB AT OUR
NEW CAMPAIGN’S INAUGURAL BARBECUE FUNDRAISER
By Mark Dana, Two Hundred Club President
We at the Two Hundred Club are very excited about some upcoming initiatives and plans. For 15 years, our organization has worked hard to provide assistance to the families of fallen and injured first responders in 18 Georgia and two South Carolina counties. We’ve been lucky to have many generous and enthusiastic supporters, and we feel it’s time to take that support to the next level by expanding our donor base and raising more public awareness for our mission.
To do so, we proudly announce the official launch of our new “Red, White & Blue Campaign,” which will begin with an inaugural fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 16. We invite all community members to attend our “Red, White and Blue Barbecue” from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. in downtown Savannah’s Ellis Square. The event, which is co-hosted by the annual Savannah Food & Wine Festival, will feature a wide array of barbecue and other foods from well-known local restaurants as well as live entertainment.
People will be invited to “donate for a plate” with a $15 minimum suggested donation. Anyone who signs up to be a member of the Two Hundred Club that day will be entitled to a free plate of barbecued pulled pork, spare ribs, coleslaw, baked beans and Texas toast. Businesses and eateries who’ve agreed to generously donate food for the occasion include Gerald’s Pig and Shrimp, Savannah Lodging, G.C. BBQ and Ruby Tuesday. Leopold’s Ice Cream will serve some of their signature frozen desserts. An assortment of drinks – provided by Coca-Cola, Southern Eagle, Service Brewery and United Distributing – will be sold. Anyone who wants to pre-order a plate can do so by going to www.twohundredclub.org. Pre-ordered meals will be available for drive-thru pickup between 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in Ellis Square.
As attendees enjoy good food and friends, several local bands – including Keith and Ross, In For A Penny, and Bottles and Cans – will provide music.
I can’t stress enough how important this event is for the Two Hundred Club and the services we provide. We’re committed to lessening the devastating effects of tragedies through immediate and significant financial gifts to the families of fallen and injured police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel. To date, we’ve donated over $1.2 million to beneficiaries in Brantley, Beaufort, S.C.; Bryan; Bulloch; Camden; Candler; Chatham; Effingham; Evans; Glynn; Jasper, S.C.; Jenkins; Liberty; Long; McIntosh; Pierce; Screven; Tattnall; Toombs; and Wayne counties. We need your help to ensure we’re able to continue the level of assistance these families need.
A donation to the Two Hundred Club goes directly toward ensuring that families can stay in their homes, maintain a decent standard of living and remain in or enter educational programs following a loss or tragedy. Furthermore, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity, so all membership fees and donations to the Two Hundred Club are tax-deductible.
All money raised through the barbecue and the campaign will help us ease the pain of Georgia and South Carolina families who are struggling with the loss or injury of a first responder. Our club is mostly funded through memberships, which range from $250 to $1,000 per year. Donations also are welcome. Benefits are determined at the sole discretion of the club’s board of directors.
Members include professionals, homemakers, community leaders, small business owners and managers, corporate executives, retired and active-duty firefighters and law-enforcement officers. We encourage civic-minded individuals from all walks of life to get involved and help make a difference.
For more information on the campaign, joining the club, making a donation or attending the barbecue, call 912-721-4418, email info@twohundredclub.org or go to www.twohundredclub.org.
The honor from aiding these families is a treasure that money can’t buy. We are all dedicated to the one purpose of bringing love into the lives of the families our heroes have left behind.
