An unexpectedly large crowd turned out Saturday, March 1, for Sunshine Industries’ first fundraiser dinner since COVID.
Trisha King, office manager for the organization, which serves disabled adults in the Sweet Home and Lebanon areas, said the turnout exceeded what she expected as the primary organizer of the event. King said a total of about 110 people attended.
“I was really blown away by the support,” she said.
The traditional spaghetti feed was replaced by a more “open” menu, she said. Area band Cascade Rye performed and guests browsed silent auction and raffle items.
The silent auction, featuring some 30 donated items, raised more than $4,000, and 30-plus items were raffled off to raise approximately $2,000 more than the goal, King said. She said final figures were still being tallied this week.
“Unfortunately,” she said, that largesse came with news of cuts to federal transportation dollars and benefits for some Sunshine clients.
King said the dinner helped raise local recognition for Sunshine, which had fallen off following the COVID shutdown.
“I got a lot of really good feedback,” she said. “The community was happy to see it revived. People haven’t been hearing our name for so long.”
Board member Eric Tagle brought a whole table of people “who had not idea Sunshine was still here,” King said.
Sunshine, which last year celebrated 50 years in Sweet Home, has rebranded, she said, with a new website and a new Facebook.
“We’ve been pounding the public, trying to get our name out there,” she said. “I feel this event brought it all back together. I was able to make multiple connections for Sunshine.”