Record $50K Haul for Community House at Annual Fundraiser

The pulled in more than $50,000 from its annual wine tasting this year, making it easily the most successful fundraiser in the event’s seven-year run.

George Schulmann, president of the board of trustees, said the turnout was much higher than normal—by about 100 people, he estimated—with guests packing the Community House to the point where two tented areas were added out front and out back to accommodate the huge crowd.

“It was the first year we couldn’t accept anyone at the door,” he said.

Between the 500 tickets sold—a sellout—and the money raised from auctions, Keith Omlor, vice chair of the board and the event organizer, said they pulled in between $50,000-60,000, though an exact tally is still being determined.

“From a financial standpoint, obviously this is the most money ever generated by this event,” Omlor said, though he was at somewhat of a loss when asked why.

Word has spread over the last seven years, he explained, and new members have been added to the board who have helped market the event—not to mention the added exposure from the , which Omlor acknowledged probably played a part in the uptick in attendance at the wine tasting.

According to Schulmann, the campaign has raised approximately $350,000 to date, well shy of their stated $1 million goal, but very positive progress nonetheless.

Schulmann said they’re getting ready to place coin collection containers in all the Moorestown schools, hearkening back to the original fundraiser for the construction of the Community House back in 1925, when children in town donated pennies.

“It will increase awareness,” he said. “It’ll tell our story.”

The money from the wine tasting and the money raised through the capital campaign go into separate pots—the former for operational costs, the latter for major capital improvements. But in the end, of course, it all benefits the Community House.

Omlor stressed the wine tasting’s success would not have been possible “without the help of everybody on the board and the generosity of our sponsors and the people that donated to the silent auction and their time, and everybody that attended,” he said. “On behalf of the board, I can’t thank them enough.”

To learn more about the Community House or to make a donation, visit their website.