Thank you Glendale.
Thank you Glendale.
Thank you Glendale.
The William B Glendale Festival was a great success. With short notice and a lot of volunteers and support, we far exceeded our goals. Thanks to all of you who were able to participate and contribute. We had many volunteers cooking hamburgers, hot dogs, organizing the games and events and setting up and closing. The Glendale Scouts and Cub Scouts especially are to be thanked for their help and support to William B. Thank you to all who worked the festival for your generous donation of time.
The William B Glendale Festival was very successful in two ways.
First and most important, the festival provided an opportunity for the many friends and supporters of William B to come together and share their hope, encouragement and joy over William B's progress and future. We expected a much smaller crowd as the festival in hindsight was not advertised or promoted as much as it could have been but we did email blast the village through Walter Cordes which we appreciate and was very helpful. However, in spite of short notice people came and stayed. They came and spent 2 or 3 hours talking to their neighbors and learning all they could about William B. Some came at the beginning and then came back near the end with more family. Most of William B's extended family were there, from wide ranging places and all helping and participating. The younger children spent a fortune 25 cents at a time playing the many games, foot races, tug of war, egg walks and other activities. Hundreds of hamburgers and hot dogs were served all afternoon and
prepared by the many volunteers for the festival. The plight of William B was brought back to the forefront and elevated attention. It was a true Glendale gathering that showcased the character and generosity and compassion of the Village of Glendale. This was the greatest accomplishment of the festival and it was non-financial.
Second was the financial success. When first planned three weeks ago, I first envisioned a goal of $500 to $1,000 as the profit. While some donations are still coming, the total profit will be approximately $7,700. And a note on the "profit". There were no expenses. None. All costs and expenses were donated. All silent auction items were donated.
The festival financially included the sale of tickets for 25cents used for the purchase of food, playing games and races, the purchase of cakes and donations. People bought $4 dollars in tickets and give a $10 or $20 and said keep the change. The donations were large and buried in the numbers below. We also had a silent auction and a number of items were bid more than the retail. For example, a $100 gift certificate to Boi Na Braza Brazilian steak house was bought for $175. And then another Glendale patron who bid $150 but lost, wanted one, the Boi Na Braza the next day gave another certificate which sold for $150, so it turned into $325. Earlier today, I delivered on my bike and picked up a check for $225 for a gift from Westin Cincinnati for a room and $50 gift card for McCormick & Schmidt restaurant.
The festival also included the raffle at $10 a ticket of four infield box Reds tickets and private admission to batting practice, out on the field beginning with less than 5 others beginning at 4:50pm until a 7:10pm game, or 11am is weekend game. The raffle generated another $480 for these four seats. Thank you to all who purchased raffle tickets as an important way to show support. The bag of all raffle tickets was taken to William B's house and William B and his mother together pulled the winning ticket with complete confidentiality with my Mom and others as independent witnesses per my rules. We are pleased to report that the winner of the raffle was Randy Green of Oak Street. We hope he takes his camera to private batting practice and posts the phots on the Village Web Site.
This was one of two most valuable donations by the Castellini family and the Cincinnati Reds. If not aware, they lived here many years and raised their family in Glendale. Very generous. The other was Champions Club tickets and batting practice purchased as a donation in the amount of $500. We are glad that with short notice, there was a broad range of corporate and individual support for the donation of silent auction items.
A summary financial report is $2,933 from the sale of tickets for food, games, cake sales and donations when selling tickets. Again, these were 25 cent tickets Unbelievable. The silent auction generated $3,320 of which only approximately $300 remains uncollected and the balance has been paid, $480 from the sale of the raffle ticket and approximately $1,000 in donations received in the mail or separately identified of which about $600 remains uncollected. Approximately $200 in silent auction purchases are to be depositied directly into Fifth Third Bank. Today, my Mom and I made a deposit of $6,630 to Fifth Third Bank for the exclusive use of William B and his family. Adding the $6,830 to the $900 uncollected results in a total to date of $7,730. We are exploring on a preliminary basis the possibility of a private foundation to match this amount which if granted would result in $15,460 available for this cause.
No one expected this tragic situation to continue as long as it has. The family has recently been incurring substantial costs for unreimbursed or inadequately reimbursed prescription drugs which this will supplement. Also, William B needs for the next phase of his recovery physical therapy equipment and services which may accelerate his coming out of the coma. Reimbursement from insurance companies at this stage in William B's recovery is less certain, additional private help is important and can make a difference.
The need is great and assistance is very much appreciated. If you were unable to attend or otherwise participate, please consider a gift to the William B Fund. If you were able to give before, please consider another donation as no one expected this tragic situation to continue as long as it has. This is the time to help William B climb. You can either mail a donation to my Mom at Pam Cheney, 715 Ivy Avenue, Glendale, OH 45246 or make a direct deposit to William B's account at the Village Fifth Third Bank account. All help is appreciated and is important.
The Village of Glendale is small relative to others but large in compassion and generosity. Among the best neighborhood villages in the United States withour a doubt. Many have done a lot but there continues to be much more needed to help this tragic situation.
Thank you for your participation, donations and help to date, as well as your consideration of this request. My bike is ready to come to your house and pick up any envelopes with support. Do not hesitate to contact me at home at 771.2559, my cell at 513.693.7615 or my Dad's cell at 513.235.5270 if we can elaborate any further on last Saturday's "William B Glendale Festival".
Go William B, keep climbing,
William Cheney
7th Grade
Princeton Community Middle School
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