On April 19, the GFWC Brandon Service League held its first Spring Sporting Clays Fundraiser Shoot and Dinner at FishHawk Sporting Clays in Lithia. The event was an opportunity for the members to celebrate and present funds to several area nonprofits and area high schools.
The event was enjoyed by one and all. The members of the club were excited to present proceeds from the 2019 Holiday Home Tour. In total, $5,400 was presented to Brandon Outreach Clinic, Hope for Her (formerly known as the Women’s Resource Center of Brandon), Winthrop Arts, Choices Pregnancy Center, New Horizons Group Homes and the arts departments from six area high schools (Brandon, Bloomingdale, Newsome, Durant, Armwood and Riverview).
Bradlee Swanson, co-president of the GFWC Brandon Service League, said, “We were excited to be able to finally make those donations. As the world was put on hold for most of 2020, it is a wonderful feeling to know that we are back out in the community trying to make a difference with our donations.”
Swanson added, “We choose our nonprofit recipients for a variety of reasons. The needs of the nonprofit organization along with their involvement and community impact are taken into consideration. Each year, a committee puts together a list of organizations and presents them to the club for selection.”
Cheryl Hickman, founder and executive director of Hope for Her, said, “25 percent of homeless are women. We help them regain stability and get them back on their feet. This donation will directly impact what we are able to do.”
Swanson said, “This was our first event since the COVID-19 shutdown. We have held regular meetings live and via Zoom since September 2020, but this was our first community event.”
Swanson added, “We want the community to know that GFWC Brandon Service League is still here. We have been quiet for over a year, with no events and no club news. We are cautiously opening up our doors, so to speak, with more club events and community outings. We are accepting new members and love to have visitors. Our club service year is winding down, but we will be working over the summer to plan events and club gatherings for the fall. We meet the second Thursday of each month, September to May, at New Hope United Methodist Church in Brandon.”
For more information, please visit www.gfwcbrandonserviceleague.org.
