Tickets now available for Evening with Evans Home Friends

Reporter

WINCHESTER — The Henry and William Evans Home for Children cordially invites you to its premier fundraiser of the year, the Evening with Evans Home Friends.

The event, which gives participants an opportunity to dress up and enjoy cocktails, a buffet dinner, a silent auction, inspirational presentations and live music, will be held 5:30-8:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at Piccadilly’s Public House and Restaurant, 125 E. Piccadilly St. in downtown Winchester.

Amy Rice, executive director of the Evans Home at 330 E. Leicester St. in Winchester, said tickets to the Evening with Evans Home Friends can be obtained for a minimum donation of $100, and every cent will be used to support the nonprofit’s mission of providing a loving, nurturing residence for children who are homeless or experiencing a family crisis.

The annual fundraiser, which is the Evans Home’s biggest each year, was previously held at the George Washington Hotel in downtown Winchester, but Rice said they needed a new location for the Sept. 28 gathering.

“Last year sold out so we wanted to increase capacity a little bit,” she said, noting that Piccadilly’s Public House can accommodate 150 attendees whereas the hotel could only handle up to 130.

Rice said the annual Evening with Evans Home Friends is an opportunity “to celebrate all those who support us and the good work the Evans Home does.”

Food for the buffet will be prepared by Piccadilly’s Public House and Restaurant, and a vegan option will be available.

“We’ve picked a great menu,” Rice said.

A highlight of prior evenings has been a keynote address from a former Evans Home resident who tells the audience how the nonprofit helped with their physical and emotional needs while preparing them for success in the future. Rice said she expects another former resident will speak at this year’s event, but as of Monday, she did not know who that would be.

“I have some ideas,” she said.

Another highlight of the Sept. 28 event, Rice said, will be “a wonderful silent auction” featuring gift baskets from local donors, including a “basket of cheer” from the Evans Home’s board of directors and a Barbie-themed basket from the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Winchester.

“We’re trying to expand and add more items this year,” she said, asking that any individual, business or organization willing to donate merchandise and/or services to the Evening with Evans Home Friends call her at 540-662-8520 or bring the items to the Evans Home on East Leicester Street. “We’d love it if somebody could donate a weekend getaway, something like that.”

Music for the evening will be courtesy of Melanie Pearl, a local vocalist, pianist and ukulele player who performs popular songs from several decades.

“She has done our Chili Dinner the past two years,” Rice said, referring to another annual Evans Home fundraiser. “She’s fantastic, has a beautiful voice.”

Typically, the annual Evening with Evans Home Friends raises about $50,000, Rice said. While a great deal of that money comes from ticket sales and auction proceeds, sponsorships also add to the final tally. Rice said she would love to hear from any businesses or organizations interested in purchasing a sponsorship for the Sept. 28 fundraiser.

“We would love to break through the $50,000 amount and raise even more,” she said, noting the core of the Evans Home facility where children are housed is nearly 75 years old and needs numerous upgrades and improvements.

To learn more about the Evening with Evans Home Friends, or to make an online donation in exchange for a ticket, visit evanshome.org by Sept. 21. Information about sponsorships for the fundraiser is also available at the website.

“We’re excited,” Rice said. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

If you can’t attend the Evening with Evans Home Friends, you can still help the Evans Home. Through the end of September, the nonprofit will be the beneficiary of Holtzman Oil‘s Giving Pump, which is a program sponsored by Shell USA Inc. that donates a portion of fuel sales to select local charities. Holtzman’s Giving Pump stations are located at the 7-Eleven convenience stores at 131 Kernstown Commons Blvd. and 1511 Martinsburg Pike in Frederick County, and at 851 John Marshall Highway near Front Royal. To learn more, visit holtzmancorp.com.

— Contact Brian Brehm at [email protected]

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