Raising Money for Good Causes
(NOTE: this article originally appeared in WITW International’s November/December 2020 edition of Shootin’ The Breeze)
Greetings from Connecticut!
Each year the Daughters of Odin raise money for various charities. We began this in 2017 when we donated almost $3,000 to the Meriden Humane Society; in 2018 we collected and donated much-needed items for a local battered women’s shelter in Waterbury; and in 2019 we held a Paint Nite and raised funds (whilst having an absolute blast!) for the Ronald McDonald House of CT. This year our members elected to support the National Women’s Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation (NWCAVE).
Our fundraising efforts this year for this important nonprofit have so far been a smash hit! Our very own Safety Officer, Katie “Princess” Killer obtained permission for the Chapter to use the front yard of the salon where she works so we could host a giant Tag Sale in September. The event was scheduled to start at 10am, but people were already stopping by at 7.30am as we were setting up … as quickly as we priced and put out items on display, they were snapped up by eager customers. A big thanks to Nancy, Shannon and family from the salon who helped set up numerous tables and displays on the grass. A huge shoutout also to our members who contributed: Katie Killer, Beck “San Diego” Lamb, Michelle “Samsonite” Lang, Rebecca “Wolfie” Carter, Ann Bastien, Kathleen “Slayer” Nowosadko, Sandi “Jr B” Gutierrez, Shari “Olaf” McNamara and Sandy Bellinger, all of whom ensured things ran smoothly on the day! Thanks also to Theresa Montemurro for securing three 48” LCD smart TVs that we sold for our worthy cause. By the end of the day, the Chapter had raised over $1,160 for NWCAVE.
But the fundraising didn’t stop there! The Chapter also approached several local restaurants to see if they were willing to participate in Dine For A Cause nights. K LaMay’s in Meriden helped us raise an additional $240, whilst Jessica Tuesday’s in eastern CT donated even more funds (amount yet to be confirmed).
The donations keep coming in and all of this is proof that a passion for helping others can bring about generosity in those around us, even during these difficult times. We are incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work shown by our members and take pride in the support we’re able to give our local communities, however small this may be.
Michelle “Samsonite” Lang (Co-Founder / Chapter Leader)