Business & Tech
Open House - Open Hearts Raises Thousands For United Community Ministries
The annual open house fundraisers sponsors a local charity
Dozens flocked to Four Sales, Ltd third annual Open House Open Hearts (OHOH) charity fundraiser, Sunday evening. The open house, silent auction, raffle tickets and local business donations are expected to bring in $6,500 and over 2,000 pounds of nonperishable food for United Community Ministries.
“We have a bathroom full of food upstairs. That’s the price of admission, a bag full of canned goods,” Daniel Sanders of Four Sales, Ltd said. “To go to the store, spend ten dollars on a bag of food and make someone’s day? That’s something anyone can do.”
Each year, OHOH and a partnering realtor, this year Elizabeth Lucchesi of McEnearney Associates, select a deserving local charity to fundraise for. This year’s fundraiser was held at a house recently added to the market in Alexandria proper.
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“We take so much from the community,” Lucchesi said. “It’s high time that we give back. I’m thrilled to work on this, and the owners were more than happy to host.”
Businesses from across Alexandria and Mount Vernon donated services, products and gifts for the silent auction and raffle prizes. Guests were encouraged to purchase an “arm’s length of tickets” for $5, a “leg’s length” for $10 and an arm and a leg for $20.
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“Helping a charity shouldn’t have to cost and arm and a leg,” Sanders said. “We wanted to start an “any person” charity. Allow everyone in the community to volunteer their time and money, in any way they can.”
Sanders was inspired to create OHOH after he attended a dinner fundraiser and realized that the majority of the proceeds went to the event itself, rather than the charity. Because everything auctioned and served at the event had been donated, UCM will receive every cent raised.
For the second year, OHOH presented the Community Heart Award to a local citizen who has made a difference in the community. This year Supervisor Gerry Hyland presented Barbara Sullivan with the award for her work with Mount Vernon at Home, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Development Council and the Mount Vernon community.
“I love my community,” Sullivan said. “I’m honored to have been selected, and I will have to honor of selecting next year’s recipient, just as I was chosen by last year’s winner.”
