Habitat support shows at dinner
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More than 200 local residents turned out in full force to support Habitat for Humanity Friday night with bids both in a silent auction and live, along with dinner and cocktails for date night.
From an all-terrain bicycle to a 3-month-old fox red labrador named Scarlet, auction items brought a crowd of young and older generations together at the Marietta Shrine Club.
“We were getting donations even this morning as we set up,” said Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore Development Coordinator Heather Eichner. “I’ve never been involved in an event that had this level of support and loyalty. Even the volunteers, especially the members of Marietta College’s Delta Tau Delta fraternity, just came in already knowing what to do and how to help. We couldn’t have done this without them.”
Jodi Whitehouse, who just moved into her Habitat for Humanity house in Marietta in October with her three children, said she was overwhelmed by the continuing support from the local community.
“I was in an income-based housing situation that whenever my income would rise, so would my rent. So there was no way to ever save up to get out of that,” she said. “This program gave us the chance to take ownership of a home and now we’re making monthly payments on a house we helped to build.”
Whitehouse said her three children, ages 15, 12 and 8, have all helped turn the upstairs into a comfortable living space and are excited to each have their own rooms by the end of the summer.
For future projects, Alvin Phillips, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley, said the merger this past year of the Wood County and Washington County Habitat offices will not stop projects from happening on either side of the Ohio River.
“We haven’t decided whether we’ll have an auction on both sides each year like this but with the size of the crowd we are optimistic that we’ll continue to have support from each community,” he said. “Our next event will be a live and silent auction called ‘Destination Design’ to be held in Vienna on April 7.”
The emcee, Washington County Common Pleas Judge Randall Burnworth, said the cause of the night, to supply affordable housing for families in the area, was the reason he has participated for years.
“The product carries itself,” he said. “It’s not a handout, it’s a leg-up and even in a transition year they still did a spectacular job bringing it all together.”
Cindy Hall, 52, of Devola, said she and her husband have been attending the auction for years and decided this year to invite her friend Diana Moran, 43, of St. Marys, along with Moran’s husband.
“It’s for a great cause plus I get to see a lot of people that I may not see regularly otherwise,” said Hall. “My husband and I have been coming for six years and Friday night is already our date night so why not spend it here?”
The Halls and Morans shared a table with Angela Schabell, 46, of Vienna, who said as a Marietta Noon Lion that supporting residents of the city was just another way to do her civic duty.
“I used to come every year and make sure as a single mother that I left with the YMCA family membership,” she said. “Now I’m here for other fun things but when you’re a part of a civic organization in this town, we all try to cross-support each other’s efforts.”
Engaged couple Sam Tuten, 28, of Marietta, and Maggie Hendershot, 28, of Marietta, were particularly enthralled with one furry auction item which reminded them of their own young puppy.
“She’s just so darling and soft,” said Hendershot of the fox red labrador named Scarlet donated by Karen Henthorne, a local dog breeder and business owner.
“We had to come over and pet her, though I don’t think we could take her home with our own young dog,” added Tuten. “But being here tonight is for a good cause and I’m glad to see more young people here.”
Henthorne said donating from her past 50 litters is a passion of hers and she was glad to provide Scarlet for the cause of the night.
“We have donated at lease one puppy from every litter for the past 18 years,” she said. “We have to give back to our local community… it’s a passion of mine.”
Volunteer and Marietta College student Westyn Bennington, 21, of Delaware, said not only was the night his fourth time helping with the habitat auction, but that it was a cause dear to his heart.
“As a fraternity we have a lot of fun coming and helping out and seeing our professors off campus,” said Bennington. “But I’ve also worked as a contractor over my summers to help with Habitat for Humanity in my hometown so I know the good this program does for families. We’d like to help with the groundbreaking of the next house if we could.”
Phillips said the end goal for the night was a net gain of $15,000 before expenses and the goal for money raised at April’s Vienna event will be between $40,000 and $50,000.
“The community here has shown its loyalty and we couldn’t be more appreciative of the impact this will have,” he said.
At a glance
The 17th annual Paul L. Callihan Dinner and Auction took place at the Marietta Shrine Club Friday.
Volunteers and donors of equipment and services included:
– Inspired Creations by Merrilee.
– McLeish Auction Services.
– Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.
– Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
– Judge Randall Burnworth.
– Claire Dent.
– Susan Schuchts.
– Jeanie Phillips.
– David Williams.
– Jen Dennis.
– Carolyn Garrity.
– Lois Richards.
– Charlie Matthews.
-Sponsors included:
– Peoples Bank.
– Janet Chase.
– Marietta Board of Realtors.
– Copper Leaf Interiors.
– Gary and Sharon Frye.
– Lang Masonry and Restoration Contractors.
– Wolf Creek Contracting.
– Solvay Specialty Polymers.
– Sterling Service Station.
– Hayes Insurance Agency.
– Hall Financial.
– Waterford Commercial and Savings Bank.
– Riverview Credit Union.
Source: Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley.