Perrysburg Rotary Fundraiser Proceeds to Fight Food Insecurity

Hunger lives closer than we think, and the Perrysburg Rotary Club has taken steps to help solve this problem. The club achieved record net proceeds from this year’s Bootleggers Bash fundraiser held on April 24 at the Hilton Garden Inn. The funds will be shared between the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation and 13 local organizations working to combat food insecurity across Wood County.

Bootleggers Bash was the Perrysburg Rotary Club’s 42nd annual fundraising event, with Mercy Health as once again the event’s Presenting Sponsor. The fundraiser brought together community members for an evening of lively jazz performances from a group of entertainers that included The Hepcat Revival Band, a high-energy seven-piece ensemble; “Ragtime Rick” Grafin on piano during dinner; and Speakeasy Room performances from vocalists Kim Buehler and Ramona Collins, accompanied by guitarists Randy Sobel and Aayan Naim.

At one point during the evening, representatives from the Wood County Committee on Aging, the Otsego Food Pantry, and Connecting Kids to Meals addressed attendees to offer humbling and sobering human interest stories of community members their organizations have helped. Silent auction items with online bidding and raffle ticket purchases for a New Orleans trip kept audience members alert throughout the night. Jerry Anderson, former TV News anchor, added energy and enthusiasm to the evening as Master of Ceremonies, and worked his magic during a robust “paddle up” session for people to contribute. All in support of local hunger relief efforts.

Food insecurity remains significant in communities across the Wood County region:

· 1 in 7 people and 1 in 5 children in Wood County face food insecurity

· 15% of county residents struggle to consistently put food on the table

· 31% of school-age children qualify for free or reduced-price meals

“Food insecurity is often invisible, but it affects families in every corner of our community,” said Jack Sculfort, Executive Director of the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation. “Bootleggers Bash brought people together not only for a memorable evening, but for a meaningful purpose — helping ensure our neighbors have access to nutritious meals and the support they need. The generosity of this community was on display at Bootleggers Bash as people were genuinely focused on helping to make a real and lasting difference.”

The 13 organizations receiving support from Bootleggers Bash proceeds based on their grant requests include:

Feed Our Families/ Zoar Lutheran Church, Bowling Green Christian Food Pantry, Wood County Committee on Aging, Connecting Kids to Meals, Islamic Food Bank/The Heights, First Christian Church of Bowling Green, St. Thomas More Food Pantry, Community Food Pantry/Weston, Church of Christ, Eastwood Community Food Pantry/Pemberville, Otsego Food Pantry, Tim's Rescue Kitchen, Fishes and Loaves/Unity United Methodist Church, and St. John's Lutheran Church Food Pantry.

The Perrysburg Rotary Club is a dedicated organization of over 90 community leaders committed to strengthening Perrysburg and the surrounding area through hands-on projects, fundraising efforts, and community partnerships. Its philanthropic arm, the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that is celebrating 40 years of service. Since the year 2000, the Foundation has contributed more than $2.5 million to local and global