The annual Chili Supper and Dessert Auction held Tuesday for the benefit of the Ernie Blankenship Memorial Radio Telethon at Hillsboro VFW Post 9094 raised a record $6,299.
Sharon Hughes | The Times-Gazette
A record of more than $6,000 was raised Tuesday evening at the annual Chili Supper and Dessert Auction for the benefit of the Ernie Blankenship Memorial Radio Telethon at Hillsboro VFW Post 9094.
The supper and auction are part of the pre-event fundraising by the Hillsboro Rotary Club. The staff of this year’s host, First State Bank, and members of the Hillsboro Rotary Club served more than 100 people.
Rotarian Rick Williams conducted the dessert auction consisting of 29 different items that were sold for a total of $5,415, smashing the previous record of $2,830. The total of ticket sales and additional donations were $884, resulting in another event record total of $6,299, according to Rocky Coss, the event organizer.
He said all proceeds will be donated to the Highland County Society for Children and Adults.
The 52nd annual Ernie Blankenship Radio-Telethon conducted by the Hillsboro and Greenfield Rotary Clubs for the benefit of the Highland County Society for Children and Adults will take place from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 at the Hillsboro Orpheum.
The Hillsboro Rotary Club event will be broadcast live on Channel 13 of the Spectrum Cable System, on WSRW 101.5 FM and WSRW AM 1590, iHeart radio. It will also be live streamed on the society’s website — hicoso.org. and on Tech-t.com’s website.
The Greenfield Rotary Club event will be broadcast live on the same evening from the McClain High School studio from 7-9 p.m. on WVNU radio and the Spectrum community access channel in the Greenfield area.
Rotarians at both locations will take pledges during the event by telephone or in person. Pledges can be made during the radio-telethon by calling 937-402-5557 in Hillsboro or 937-981-7731 in Greenfield. Donations can also be made online through the society’s Facebook page or website. Checks payable to HCCSA can be dropped off at any local bank or mailed to the society at P.O. Box 972, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.
There will be several items donated to be auctioned during the event including sports memorabilia, game tickets and other items. Bids can be submitted during the event by telephone or in person.
The two Rotary Clubs raised more than $150,000 during the 2023 event, all of which was used by the society to provide assistance and services to Highland County children and adults who are unable to pay for expenses for necessary medical treatment, transportation, equipment, pharmaceutical and other health care devices and services. The total raised by the event over the past 50 years is more than $4 million dollars.
