CCC’s important banquet, auction slated for April 20

Heading into its fifth year of serving as a community gathering spot for reunions, celebrations and all types of functions, the Clark Community Center continues to provide value to the public, and with the facility seeing regular bookings, the investment that was made in turning the former Clark Elementary School building into a community center has been more than justified.

The CCC will host its biggest fundraiser of the year on Saturday, April 20 when it presents the annual CCC Banquet Dinner & Benefit Auction. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the auction kicking off at 6 p.m.

The evening will include a full dinner, live auction, silent auction, 50/50 raffle and gun raffle, and according to CCC Board President Taylor Faunce, this is the organization’s big fundraiser for the year.

“This is the one that pays the bills,” Faunce said. “Every one of our fundraisers matters, but this is the one that allows us to keep our rentals really inexpensive for people.”

At a rental fee of $150 that includes the whole facility, the center is an inexpensive way for families and groups to have plenty of space to roam, indoors and outside, as well as a fully functioning kitchen.

Faunce said the importance of this event is critical in continuing to be able to offer the facility for that small of a price tag.

“It’s amazing that we are in our fifth year already,” Faunce said. “It’s gone by so quickly. We continue to see rentals go through the roof, and this has become everything we had hoped it would be when we developed this idea five years ago. People have expressed their happiness with what we’re providing, and we are so grateful for the support that everyone has shown to us.”

Thanks to that support and efforts like this fundraiser, CCC is setting its sights on growing the facility and developing other interests. The first is the building of a new tee ball field, with additional plans to place several benches around the walking path and create more walking area for those who take advantage of the path around the building’s acreage.

Faunce said other ideas continue to be kicked around as the committee devotes itself to making the CCC even more inviting to the public.

What is truly exciting for the board is that since its inception half a decade ago, thanks to the partnership with the community and supporters, they have trimmed the amount still owed on the building down to just $37,000.

“We’ve got some work to do, which is another reason this event is so important, but we are really excited about where we are financially on what we owe,” Faunce said. “Once we pay that off, it will definitely be a day of celebration, and it is a day we are all looking forward to seeing take place.”

This coming banquet and auction will help take a bite out of that amount and also will serve as a way to bring community people together for an evening of festivities, food and fun.

Presale tickets are now available through April 13 at $20 per plate, which includes a raffle ticket to win a Yeti cooler, and children’s plates at $10 each. Tickets for the evening at the door for the meal that will be catered by Exclusively Yours Catering are $25.

Tickets may be purchased from any CCC board member including Faunce at 330-231-3592, Kevin Lint at 330-231-0162, Cheryl Seabright at 330-231-0819, Trae Schonauer at 330-473-7506 or Travis Sheldon at 330-231-6224.

Clark Community Center is located at 1390 state Route 83 south of Millersburg in Clark.