posted October 11, 2008
) Shown are Beverly Witt, Orange Grove; Lynne Mayfield, FACES; Rita Carr, Hope Unlimited Ministry; Betsy Taylor, T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital; Shelley McGraw, Children’s Advocacy Center; Ansel Peak, Big Brothers—Big Sisters; Azusa Dance and Kelly Williams, Kids On The Block; Katie Harbison, Children’s Home/Chambliss Shelter; Clare Hetzler, Epilepsy Foundation; Paul Jette, Bachman Academy; and Jane Kaylor, Ronald McDonald House. |
At a recent meeting, $34,900 was donated to 11 charities to help handicapped children have a better life, board member Jack Anderson said.
The charities receiving money were Orange Grove Center, Faces, Big
Brothers-Big Sisters, Bachman Academy, the Children’s Advocacy Center, Children’s Home/Chambliss Shelter, the Epilepsy Foundation, Hope Unlimited Ministries, Kids on the Block, Ronald McDonald House, and T. C. Thompson Children’s Hospital.
Mr. Anderson said, "For the past five years, this club has given over $100,000 annually to local charities. The club gives mostly to special children who are in need of help.
"This support can be anything from giving money to help a special child have a better life or a needed facial operation, or by helping the handicapped obtain many special made devices including wheelchairs for spinal and other
conditions, electronic speech enhancement machines, special
wheelchair lifts for vans for the child who would not be able to
have transportation if not given this advantage."
He said the club’s Child Welfare Auxiliary determines the merit of needs of each case.
To support the program, Mr. Anderson said Civitan members "have given of their money and many hours of unselfish volunteer time in running the following annual fundraising projects."
(1) Each year the club has a golf tournament.
(2) A Summer Fling which entails selling tickets to a night on the town. This entitles the purchaser to a delicious dinner for two and a chance of winning numerous door prizes.
(3) The selling of Claxton fruitcake and topping it off with a visit annually from Miss Tennessee who attends one of the club’s weekly meetings for a fruitcake auction. Spurred on by Miss Tennessee, fruitcakes may sell for many hundreds of dollars a pound at these auctions.
(4) The selling of hundreds of coupon books featuring discounts from many restaurants and attractions.
(5) Club members donating old books, CDs and records for sale on e-Bay.
The Chattanooga Civitan Club, whose motto is “Builders Of Good
Citizenship”, was charted in 1920. It is the third oldest club
internationally. In fact, a local charter member, Champe Andrews, wrote the Civitan creed. Chattanooga Civitan O.B. Andrews served as the 2nd international president in 1922-23.
The club played a major role in establishing the T.C. Thompson
Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga. T.C. Thompson, the club’s second
president, had begun a program to benefit needy crippled children by
arranging for their medical care outside Chattanooga and donations were made to help with Thompson’s work.
In 1927 a large donation by Cassie Hutcheson, a resident of another city, was used by Mr. Thompson to establish a charitable foundation. The Chattanooga Civitan Child Welfare Auxiliary continues helping handicapped children.
In 1927 the local club received public help to approve a $125,000 bond issue, and the club has continued its close association with the hospital. Since 1973, the club members have raised and given to the hospital over half a million dollars primarily for equipment in the neo-natal intensive care unit. For the past five years, the club has given over $10,000 annually to support this effort.
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