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.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
It also organizes and presents a mix of what it calls pop-up events such as concerts and educational performances including 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.
She also gave credit to all who solicited support and worked behind the scenes in a myriad of ways. She expressed special thanks to longtime local arts supporters Bob and Elizabeth Crider, who served as honorary co-chairs.
One boost for funding surfaced when organizers awarded the evening’s largest auction prize — a tropical Hawaiian vacation — to two competing bidders, each for $23,000. One other auction item also raised double the amount when it was given to two bidders for the same price.
The overall event total raised includes $48,000 for a separate Fund a Need auction for youth arts programs. That total is well beyond the total amount normally raised for a specific highlighted need.
Board member Victoria Griffin, who co-chaired the event with board member Cheryl Miles-Vieth, praised all who worked and volunteered on the event, and specifically singled out Armstrong for her leadership that “is phenomenal beyond words.”
Griffin also praised Bob Haddad Jr. of Harrison Lake Country Club for providing a venue that allows attendees to enjoy food and other amenities indoors and outdoors alike, including a patio area. Plus, the outdoor area included a golf green for a friendly putting competition that raised $450.
“People really seem to love the mix-and-mingle concept (there),” Griffin said.
The focus of the arts council, created in 1989 after a merger between The Commons staff and the Driftwood Valley Arts Council, is “to strengthen the community through arts and culture,” according to its mission statement.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Most recent Uncommon Cause totals” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
These figures from previous fundraisers represent the net total after expenses.
- 2018: $111,000
- 2017: $110,934
- 2016: $77,000.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
