A crowd of 325 people raised a record amount of money at Saturday’s 44th Annual Uncommon Cause arts fundraising auctions at Harrison Lake Country Club in Columbus.
The event grossed $215,000, according to organizers.
They said an exact total won’t be known until all expenses are paid within the next week or two. But the new, eventual net figure surely will be far higher than the previous reported record. That was $118,000 set in 2015 at a sold-out Commons.
The latest event, which was themed “Color Your Senses,” is the nonprofit Columbus Area Arts Council’s gathering that builds awareness of and support for its work. The agency is perhaps best known for its free-to-the-public signature gatherings such as JCB Neighborfest street concerts and First Fridays For Families gatherings for youngsters.
It also organizes and presents a mix of what it calls pop-up events from concerts to educational performances such as a Martin Luther King Jr. Day presentations.
Any explanation for the top total must begin with one element, according to Kathryn Armstrong, the arts council’s executive director overseeing her fourth Uncommon Cause.
“This is a very generous community,” Armstrong said.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
