Rotaract raises funds for Puerto Rico: Around The Town

Members of BW's Rotaract Club with the help of adviser Marc West, far left back row, hosted a fundraiser for Puerto Rico hurricane relief.(Rotary Club of Berea/Special to Cleveland.com)

The Rotaract Club at Baldwin Wallace University hasn't forgotten the plight of those in Puerto Rico who continue to suffer power blackouts and other losses in the wake of September's devastating hurricane.

The 30-member club, supported by the Rotary Club of Berea, raised funds for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico at a silent auction fundraiser April 17.

The "We Are All Puerto Rico" fundraiser was prompted by a request from the Rotary Club of San Juan for help as the island continues to to recover from the devastating effects of hurricane Maria.

All proceeds from the auction will go to We Care Movement, an umbrella organization that oversees the distribution of donations.

Rotaractors, Rotarians and guests dined on a Puerto Rican menu of fried plantains, rice, red beans and chicken stew catered by BW in Strosacker Hall, the student union. They also bid on raffle baskets.

Silent auction items included a Cleveland Browns basket, BW memorabilia, a tea party basket, pet items, men's and women's toiletries, and children's toys.

There was also a 50/50 raffle.

Rotaract President Joe Mandato said that although Puerto Rico has made great strides since the hurricane knocked out 2,400 miles of power lines on the island, more help is needed.

He said some remote areas are "still without electricity and the agricultural industry is still in recovery mode."

"It's up to us to provide the help that these people need," Mandato said.

The Rotary Club of Berea has pledged to match whatever funds were raised by the silent auction.

Winners will move on to compete regionally throughout the United States and in the National Tournament of Champions.

Ancestry tips: Margaret Lynch, executive director of Irish American Archives, will present "Family History Research Tips" to help you track your ancestry at 7 p.m. May 1 at the Middleburg Heights Community Center, 16000 East Bagley Road.

Don't let the Irish fool you, no matter your nationality, the same tips apply when doing the research.

The public is invited to attend this free program and light refreshments will be served.

Get tickets now: It's still April, but tickets are on sale for Cruise Into Summer, from 7 to 11 p.m. June 2 at the Middleburg Heights Community Center, 16000 Bagley Road. Tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite.com, at $65 each or $100 per couple.

Included in the ticket price are two free alcoholic drinks, heavy appetizers and fun money to play in the casino.

Raffle tickets can be bought with the fun money for lots of great prizes.

Entertainment will be provided by Frank and Dean, who will perform throughout the night, along with two comedians, who will perform with a ventriloquist and other fun activities.

All proceeds will go to help fund Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

For more information, call 440-234-2255.

Art show: The Berea City School District's 15th Annual Student Art Show will be held from 3:30 to 7 p.m. May 8-10 at Baldwin Wallace University's Fawick Art Gallery, Kleist Center for Art & Drama, 96 Beech St.

This year's exhibit, entitled "Art Through the Ages 2018," will enable visitors to observe the growth and development of students. The show includes two- and three-dimensional work by K-12 artists.

"Creatures" is the art theme for this school year, and Kayla Simonitis is the show's feature artist.

Simonitis is a senior at Berea-Midpark High School, whose charcoal on paper piece earned a Best of Show in the 2016-2017 District Art Show.

Her artwork is featured on the art show postcard, available at the Fawick Gallery.

Post fundraiser: An American Legion Post 91 Auxiliary garage sale and fundraiser will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 3-4 and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 5 at the Post hall, 91 American Legion Parkway, 100 Adams St. in Berea, rain or shine.

All proceeds from the event will help fund Auxiliary scholarships.

Flower and plant sale: The Post 91 Auxiliary's annual vegetable, plant and flower sale will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 10-12 and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 13.

Hanging bags and baskets, patio pots and mix-and-match vegetable and flower flats will be available.

All proceeds from this event benefit the Auxiliary veterans programs.

Post Card Show: The Western Reserve Post Card Society will host its 45th Annual WRPCS Post Card Show and sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 27 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 28 at Rocky River Memorial Hall, 21016 Hilliard Blvd (at Wagar Road).

This is a new location for the WRPCS, which held its annual post card show at the Donauschwaben German American Cultural Center on Columbia Road in Olmsted Falls for more than 30 years.

The club's president, Tim Terek of Berea, said this year's event will feature more than 20 dealers. Visitors will literally be able to browse through "a few hundred thousand" postcards, which will also be available for purchase.

A $3 entry donation is requested. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase on the premises, parking is free and Terek promises "no stairs to climb."

Club members meet at 10 a.m. the third Saturday of each month at the Berea United Methodist Church Classroom Building, 170 Seminary St. in Berea.

Middleburg Heights pantry: The Middleburg Heights Food Pantry at 7000 Paula Drive is open to serve clients from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays.

New pantry's hours: The Berea Community Outreach Food Pantry, 535 Wyleswood Drive (at front of Smith School), is open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, call 440-826-4891.

SCAN has regular hours: The SCAN Hunger Pantry, 398 W. Bagley Road, Suite 7, in Berea, has regular hours of operation from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second Friday of the month and from 4 to 7 p.m. on the fourth Friday of the month.

Contact SCAN by phone at 440-260-7226.

Please email information (people photos, too. include ID's) on items you'd like to see included in this column to richatsun@gmail.com.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.