HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — Altrusa International of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas Inc. invites the public to Fall Into Fun with Altrusa from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 26.
The event will take place at Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church, 700 Balearic Road in Hot Springs Village.
“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said Teresa Gewinner, president of the local community-service club, which is part of the international nonprofit organization founded in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1917. “We always have a good crowd, … at least 200 people.
“You can come and play games, such as bridge, mah-jongg, hand and foot (a card game), Mexican Train (dominoes) and others. We also serve lunch and have a silent auction,” Gewinner said.
The menu will include chicken salad, croissants, salad, dessert, tea and coffee; all food is contributed and prepared by Altrusans.
Sue Spurgin, Finance Committee chairwoman, said this fundraiser is always successful.
“It gets everybody [in the club] involved,” she said. “All members pull together to make it work.”
Spurgin said the club has other fundraisers, including selling frozen bread at Christmastime and participating in Belk Charity Days, and it also seeks grants through the Altrusa International Foundation and other businesses. “But this is the biggest thing we do,” she said.
Proceeds from Fall Into Fun go back into the club to support its many service projects.
Spurgin said the club’s biggest service project is the 4.0 Student Recognition and Scholarship Awards Program held each spring at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. This event honors students with 4.0 grade-point averages from Cutter Morning Star, Fountain Lake, Jessieville and Mountain
Pine high schools and awards $500 scholarships to those students who maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout high school.
“Valerie Derryberry started that project several years ago and does a great job as chairman,” Spurgin said. “It’s a great event and motivates the kids so much.”
Derryberry, a Finance Committee and Service Committee member, said this is the first time Altrusa has held the Fall Into Fun with Altrusa event in September.
“We usually hold it in October,” she said, “but October and November have gotten so busy for people, we thought we would try hold it earlier this year. Hopefully, this will make it easier on the members and easier for the community. We hope for a good turnout.
“We rely on our silent auction for additional funding. That’s a nice thing about Altrusa — people in the community have come to know about our projects and the value of our services to the community. They want to support us. We usually have great items in the auction.”
Derryberry said that among the items up for bid will be day passes to the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, a custom-made [golf] putter, pieces of art glass, a wine basket, a dinner-and-movie package and a five-wheeled suitcase.
Altrusa’s other major service projects include the following:
• Providing comfort kits for sexual-abuse victims treated in the emergency rooms at Saline Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospital and National Park Hospital.
• Providing two $1,000 scholarships to nontraditional nursing students at National Park College.
• Providing funding for learning materials for students at the Literacy Council of Garland County.
• Supporting the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Children’s Concert in Hot Springs.
Tickets for the Fall into Fun with Altrusa fundraising event are $15 each and are available from any local Altrusan. Reservations may be made by calling Spurgin at (817) 239-1493 or Derryberry at (501) 922-1915.