Junior Auxiliary (JA) is proud to celebrate over 50 years of service to Searcy and White County. The Annual Charity Benefit will be held February 23, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at the Searcy Country Club located at 2729 West Country Club Road in Searcy.
This year’s theme is “Naturally Made in Arkansas” and JA will feature Arkansas made items in the silent and live auctions. Mr. Reynie and Mrs. Ann Rutledge will be honored as the 2013 King and Queen of the Benefit Ball. Mrs. Rutledge is a Life Member of Junior Auxiliary of Searcy and Mr. Rutledge is the Chairman of First Security Bancorp.
“As Junior Auxiliary members we help children with caring and compassion that pours out into our seven projects. Our mission is to meet the needs of children and their families by sharing our time, talents, leadership and the money we raise each year at our Charity Benefit,” said JA Finance Chair Ashley Harvey.
Junior Auxiliary is a nonprofit women’s service organization. Sunshine School is the chapter’s pride and joy; JA members founded the school on October 4, 1965, and still work closely with the students in many ways. But there are many other projects the ladies of JA are proud to have brought to the community and raised awareness of certain issues pertaining to children.
Child Lures teaches local children about strangers. JA members go into the local schools and the third-graders are taught “lures” strangers use and how to recognize and avoid them. Students learn what is appropriate for a friend or stranger.
Backpacks are provided to children for items they need to start the school year. Local schools that are aware of a student or family that cannot provide needed supplies, or even clothes can contact JA for help.
Food Baskets is a large project organized to provide food for families at Thanksgiving. Local schools help gather items, and participate in a contest for who can raise the most. Over 300 families were served in 2012.
Angel Tree is a project near and dear to many members’ hearts. JA members organize this annually to help provide Christmas presents to local children who would otherwise have none. The Department of Human Services (DHS) and state funded organizations give lists of children in need and JA has booths in various locations in Searcy encouraging passers-by to “adopt an angel.” JA members love hearing the stories about how the families were touched, or JA members and their children who got so much joy shopping for their special angel each year. Approximately 400 children were given a wonderful Christmas thanks to Angel Tree in 2012.
Other projects Searcy Junior Auxiliary participates in include White County Medical Center’s A Day of Caring and presenting college scholarships to two local seniors.
The Charity Benefit is the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy’s largest fundraiser to support the aforementioned projects. There is a silent and live auction with wonderful made-in-Arkansas items this year as well as various vacation packages to be bid on.
The evening will include dancing, delicious hors d’oeuvres prepared by the Searcy Country Club Chef, a live band, Boom Kinetic, the silent and live auctions. The success of the Charity Ball determines how much the ladies of JA can help in the community in the coming year.
To purchase tickets to the Junior Auxiliary Charity Benefit please stop by Stott’s Drug Store, contact any JA member, email junior.auxiliary@yahoo.com or you may text inquiries to 501.400.0778.
