December 23, 2014 at 4:13 p.m.
Last Minute Gift Show organizers donate to Kids In Need
Last Minute Gift Show organizers donate to Kids In Need
By Kayla Thomason-
Tammy Mueller, organizer of The Last Minute Gift Show, handed a check for $360 to Tammy Ellis, program director of Kids In Need.
Of the $360, $260 was raised from raffle sales. The rest was donated by a gentleman who didn't want recognition.
"I'm really happy that we did $260 with just ticket sales," Mueller said.
She, along with Betsy Littleton, Penny Strupp, Teresa Bruso and Alexis Nylund, were vendors in The Last Minute Gift Show.
"Tammy [Leitel, manager of Rocky's Roadhouse] and I were just talking about [the donation], who needs it and we thought the food pantry and then we thought the kids and we just said the food pantry seems like they always get [donations]," Mueller said.
Ellis was very greatful for the donation.
"This [donation] is awesome," she said. "We hit a rough patch in September and the community has really come out and supported us and these donations are huge because each and every one buys us food and helps us keep this place going."
The community has raised a staggering amount - just under $16,000 - in three months for Kids in Need.
That total is very close to filling the void the $16,666 grant left behind.
"I can't believe we did that in three months," Ellis said. "We got really close to replacing that grant in three months time and that's unheard of really."
And as it always goes with bills and expenses, once they are paid it's time to start saving up for them again.
Kids In Need has fundraisers in the works to raise more money to keep the program running.
Ellis is thankful for the community and said that it is the reason Kids In Need is still operating.
There are not lot of activities for teenagers to do in Rhinelander, and Kids In Need offers them a place to go, get help on homework, she said.
"[The teenagers] need somewhere to go, stay out of trouble, don't be wandering around the town," Ellis said.
An average of 22 children visit the Kids in Need office every day.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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