Supporting Local Non-Profits and Flood-Affected Families with a Day of Giving and Community Spirit
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — The 2nd Annual Rays of Hope Donation Drive-Thru Fundraiser, hosted by Hello Huntsville, Elliott’s Jewelers, and Spirit Radio – The Spirit of Huntsville, is set to take place on June 6, 2024. The event will be held at the HEB Huntsville parking lot from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and aims to support five area non-profits and three families affected by recent flooding.
The beneficiaries of this year’s fundraiser include SAAFE House, Care Center Huntsville, Good Shepherd Mission, HISD Social Services, and Tomorrow’s Promise Montessori Schools (Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library). Additionally, proceeds will assist the Peake, Smith, and McAdam families, who have suffered significant losses due to the flooding.
“The Peake family, with three children, including a baby girl under a year old, lost their entire home,” said Rob Hipp, organizer of the event and Founder of Hello Huntsville. “The Smith family needs new sheetrock for their flood-damaged home, and the McAdam lost their primary source of income when their woodworking shop was destroyed, along with significant damage to their home.”
The fundraiser will accept various donations, including clothes, gift cards, and children’s toys for the affected families. Specific items needed include:
- Care Center Huntsville: Baby items such as diapers and lotions.
- Tomorrow’s Promise (Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library): Cash donations.
- HISD Social Services: Cash and gift cards to TomFoolery’s.
- SAAFE House: Clothing, household items, non-perishable food items, canned foods, boxed pasta, and toiletries.
- Good Shepherd Mission: Non-perishable food items, canned foods, boxed pasta, and toilet paper.
For donations of products valued at $20 or more, donors will receive a limited edition Rays of Hope T-shirt and a swag bag filled with goodies. Cash donations of $20 or more will also enter donors into an hourly raffle for a jewelry piece from Elliott’s Jewelers, Blue Bell ice cream, and other items totaling up to $200. Additionally, these donors will be eligible for a grand prize raffle for diamond earrings valued at $900. For an extra $10, bringing the total to $30, donors will have a chance to win a higher set of diamond earrings valued at $1,500.
Hipp emphasized the importance of community support, saying, “This event is a testament to the spirit of Huntsville. Our community comes together to help those in need, and the Rays of Hope fundraiser is a perfect example of that. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference.”
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., free hot dogs will be provided by HEB, and volunteers from the Sam Houston Women’s basketball team and Sam Houston State University LEAP ambassadors will be on-site to assist with the event.
Last year’s inaugural Rays of Hope fundraiser raised nearly $10,000 in cash and donations. Organizers are hopeful that this year’s event will surpass that amount, further supporting the vital services provided by the local non-profits and helping families in need.
For more information and to make a donation, visit https://bit.ly/2024RaysOfHope.
