GREENFIELD — Rotary of Greenfield’s annual Steak ‘n Bake ‘n Raffle is just 11 days away.
This marks the 10th year for the popular event, which will take place from 6-11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds.
As always, this year’s event features a steak dinner, games, prizes and raffles, including the Rotary Reverse Raffle featuring a $2,000 cash prize.
The big winner of the night is always local nonprofits, which compete to see who can raise the most funds by the end of the night.
Each year the Rotary selects between 10 and 15 nonprofits to see which can raise the most funds in the six weeks leading up to Steak ‘n Bake, right up until the end of the night when the final donations are tabulated.
Each of the competing nonprofits have a display set up at the dinner, where staff and volunteers can share their stories and encourage attendees to vote for their nonprofit with $1 votes.
The top five nonprofits that have raised the most money altogether by 9 p.m. that night also split the proceeds from the dinner, which typically raises about $30,000 through ticket sales, wine pulls and raffles.
All of the participating nonprofits go home with at least the amount they raised in the six weeks leading up to the end of the event.
This year’s participants include: Agape; Bentley’s Buddies; Boys and Girls Club of Hancock County; Changing Footprints, Crossroads of America Council; Friends of Hancock County CASA; Greenfield Young Life; Hancock Health Foundation; Hancock Hope House; Journey Bags of Hancock County; Love INC; and Partners for Animal Welfare Society.
“Hancock County Friends of CASA is honored to be selected to be part of Greenfield Rotary’s Steak ‘n Bake fundraiser,” said the nonprofit’s director, Tammy Settergren, who manages a team of CASA volunteers who advocate for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect.
“We hope to raise as much as possible through the event and are counting on the community to help us do this,” she said.
While the nonprofits are competing to collect the most funds, they’re all working together for the good of all.
“This is a great way for each of our nonprofits to market ourselves as it allows our organizations’ names and what we do to get out there,” said Dianna Adams, a volunteer for Journey Bags of Hancock County, which collects, cleans and distributes clothing and toiletries to children and adults in need.
Learning about and supporting the nonprofits at Steak ‘n Bake “allows our community to choose where they want to place their donation,” said Adams. “No decision is wrong. It all matters no matter what nonprofit they choose. We all work together and support one another.”
Rob Caird, this year’s Steak ‘n Bake ‘n Raffle chair, said that’s what the competition is all about.
Nonprofits had until July 31 to apply this year, and were given the chance to give an “elevator speech” to Rotarians the following week. The selected winners have since been pounding the pavement to raise as much money for their organizations as possible through various fundraisers, social media posts and word of mouth.
“I love talking with people so it’s not an issue to get the word out,” said Adams, who hopes to raise as much money as possible for Journey Bags of Hancock County.
“Any amount would help but the more the better,” she said. “There are things we want to be able to do in the future that will benefit our organization and our growth. We are growing rapidly and are running out of space, which is a great problem to have.
