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TOGETHER! is celebrating 28 years of helping the youth and families in Thurston County with their The Hats Off to TOGETHER! Tailgate Edition event. This evening will be a fun, relaxed auction and dinner fundraiser on June 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the South Puget Sound Community College – Lacey Campus Event Center, located at 4220 6th Ave SE in Lacey. The event is both a fundraiser and a chance for TOGETHER! to share their vision for expanding their overall program helping young people and families and particularly one of their most successful programs, Community Schools.

CPR
Tumwater Firefighters teach CPR at the Tumwater Family Fun Fair as part of the Community Schools partnership. Photo courtesy: TOGETHER!

“We get a lot of federal and state grants to help support the major programs, but there are a lot of things we don’t get support for and that’s where this fundraiser comes in,” says Roger Jones, development and events manager for TOGETHER!. “For example the Community Schools program really needs bus passes for the students so they can get places. It’s these little things that we need to raise money for in order to keep growing.”

Recently, TOGETHER! rebranded themselves to better reflect what they are doing now and what they want do to in the future. A major part of their future is the Community Schools program. This program provides on-site support at schools – prekindergarten through high school – for students who are homeless or at-risk. They provided basic needs, physical and mental health, family engagement, enrichment and community service learning opportunities. The program has increased student retention and attendance, fostered better behavior and better test scores.

“The Tumwater Community Schools partnership with TOGETHER! Has become an essential part of our mutual effort to support students and families facing challenges in their lives which impact the ability to learn,” says John Bash, Superintenden of Tumwater School District. “Our growing list of community partners wanting to support and expand this effort would not have been possible without the amazing leadership, networking, and support our TOGETHER! team provides.”

One example of this program in action is illustrated through the story of a new student who entered Tumwater School District from Guatemala. With little to no English and only the clothes she wore, she and her mother needed help. The Community Schools program provided clothing and shoes, a backpack, school supplies, food and more to help her enter school successfully. In addition, she and her mother were connected to services to help navigate the new school system.

Last year, TOGETHER! helped over 384 high school students and had almost $14,000 in cash and in-kind donations that were leveraged to help. They also helped 86 students at the elementary level.

Hats Off to TOGETHER! Fundraiser

Thurston TOGETHER
Tumwater Police Department representatives pitch in to make cotton candy at Tumwater Family Fun Fair, an event that partners Tumwater School District and TOGETHER’s Community Schools program. Photo courtesy: TOGETHER!

Because of the incredible success of TOGETHER!’s Community Schools program in the Tumwater School District, the other districts in Thurston County are asking to have the program as well. TOGETHER! Decided their annual fundraiser would be a great time to raise awareness about this program as well as much-needed funds to help expand to North Thurston and Olympia school districts.

The Hats Off to TOGETHER! Tailgate Edition is the second auction-dinner-fundraiser the organization has held. This year, instead of a formal dinner, TOGETHER! is having a casual party with a tailgate theme. Attendees are encouraged to wear “sports attire” including college jerseys, pro sports team shirts or even a local high school’s colors. There will be sports-themed games for everyone to play including cornhole, a basketball hoop shoot, football toss, and the most important sport – a dessert dash.

To help raise funds for their general operating expenses, TOGETHER! will also organize a silent auction, 50/50 raffle and jewelry raffle courtesy of Panowicz Jewelers.

“The other districts are saying TOGETHER!’s Community Schools Program ‘is fabulous, we want it,’” says Jones. “To do that, we need more funding to expand the program into schools that could really use it.”

Thanks to generous donors, there are many great auction items being offered including:

TOGETHER!
The starting line of the color run at Tumwater Family Fun Fair, coordinated by TOGETHER!’s Community Schools and Tumwater School District. Photo courtesy: TOGETHER!

Aside from fun, games and great prizes, the Hats Off to TOGETHER! event will include a dinner hosted by Tailgate BBQ along with beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages with the evening’s wine generously donated by Sally Beckwith of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

Event sponsors include: Olympic Federal Savings, Harborstone Credit Union, Laurie Berryman with Tumwater McDonald’s, Bron’s Automotive, Sansaco Home Furnishings, and McSwain & Company. Berryman is not only sponsoring this event, but donates McDonald’s meal coupons to the Community Schools program ensuring students can get a full meal.

Tickets cost $75 for individuals, $130 for couples or $500 for a table of 8. To register, visit the TOGETHER! website., please register by Monday, June 19th or check with TOGETHER! after that date for a registration. They are still accepting sponsors and item donors for the event. Contact TOGETHER! as soon as possible via the website, email info@thurstontogether.org or by phone at 360-493-2230 for more information. Final deadline for sponsoring or donating is June 21.

Join your community for an evening of fun, all in the name of giving back.  Throw the football, eat some BBQ and know that you are helping create a safety net and a step forward for local kids in need.

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