THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 2, 1996 TAG: 9610010143
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 62 lines
Samaritan House, the Virginia Beach-based battered-family shelter program, is more than $20,000 richer thanks to a pair of summer fund-raisers organized by local supporters.
A recent event sponsored by the Dolphin and Bayshore circles of The King's Daughters raised $10,000 for the program. The two groups joined together to revive the Beach Ball, a traditional summer benefit that had been missing from the local scene for several years.
``We decided that it was time for the Beach Ball to bounce back,'' said Jo Ann Peterson of the Dolphin Circle who chaired the event with Jena Virga, also of the Dolphin Circle, and Sandy Bowie and Margaret Ann Levitin of Bayshore.
The affair, held at the Fort Story Club, drew 400 people who paid $30 each for a casual evening of hot dogs, popcorn and beach music.
``We wanted to keep it simple, the same way the Beach Ball used to be,'' Peterson explained.
Although Children's Hospital is the primary recipient of funds raised by King's Daughters circles, both Dolphin and Bayshore had contributed to Samaritan House in the past.
``We agreed that we wanted to give to them again,'' Peterson said. ``We knew that they had a goal to meet.''
That goal of $500,000 had been set earlier in the year. The money was needed to buy eight homes, which Samaritan House had been renting from the department of Housing and Urban Development for a $1 a year. Because the federal agency had a surplus of houses, the group was either going to have to buy or surrender the houses.
No one was more aware of those needs than Diane Angelos, a Samaritan House volunteer and an organizer of another summer affair that netted slightly more than $10,000 for the organization.
``A group of us who had been playing tennis together decided that we'd like to do something for Samaritan House,'' said Angelos.
She, along with Patty Lewis, Lee Berger, Pam Clarke, Rena Johnson, Valerie Ness and Mike Byrnes, started making plans early in June for a $100 a person Hot Havana party which they scheduled for July 20.
When local businessman Rod Rodriguez heard about their efforts, he suggested they hold the fund-raiser at his home.
In less than six weeks the organizers found sponsors, sent out invitations, rounded up a 12 piece salsa band, hired a caterer and solicited donations for a silent auction.
``We're not professional fund-raisers. It was a huge party and a lot of work before, during and after,'' said Angelos, ``but we were very, very thrilled with the results.''
So was Ellen Ferber, executive director of Samaritan House. ``The community has just been wonderful to us,'' she said. So far the charity has exceeded its $500,000 goal by 50 percent. More than $750,000 has been raised through contributions and grants.
In addition to buying the eight houses, Samaritan House is in the process of establishing Safe Harbor, a community outreach program, which will provide training, employment and child care services.
``And,'' Ferber said, ``our offer on a 32-unit apartment building to be used for transitional housing has been accepted.'' When ready, the extra housing will provide families with a safe, affordable place to stay while they work their way out of a battering situation. by CNB