New campaign to spur "good giving" for local non-profits
Smiley Pete Publishing, the locally owned company that produces Chevy Chaser, Southsider Magazine and Business Lexington, is teaming up with the Blue Grass Community Foundation (BGCF) to give local nonprofits a leg-up in fundraising this holiday season. The organizations will launch their first annual GoodGiving Guide, a web-based giving campaign designed to embrace and inspire a whole new crop of community donors, particularly those young adults who may not have opened their wallets to local nonprofits before.
The campaign will run from Oct. 28 to Dec. 31 and will collect donations on behalf of more than 50 Lexington-based nonprofit organizations, and 100 percent of the money donated, minus any credit card or bank processing fees, will go directly to the designated charities.
The GoodGiving Guide website, www.goodgivingguide.net, will give these local groups an easy-to-use online venue with many of the digital bells and whistles of larger nonprofits, such as real-time reporting on campaign results and details on the demographics of their donor base. Givers can give as much or as little as they please, and will have the opportunity to research and manage their giving to multiple locally based organizations at one site. Additionally, they will earn added incentives, such as prize drawing entries and free offers from local businesses, based on how much they donate. Blue Grass Community Foundation has invested in new web-based software that pairs up with its existing website, www.goodgiving.net, and as part of the campaign, participating nonprofits can take part in seminars on the effective use of social media to get the word out about their charitable efforts. Additional grant money will be awarded by BGCF to the nonprofit organizations that garner the most donations through the new website.
Companies interested in pairing up with non-profits to offer matching donations or providing incentives for givers can get more information by contacting Chuck Creacy or Chris Eddie at (859) 281-2317, or by e-mail at chuck@smileypete.com or chris@smileypete.com.
MoonDance extending
fall fun in October
A fall series of concerts has been scheduled throughout October at the MoonDance at Midnight Pass Amphitheater.
The Tee Dee Young Band will play at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 1; Young is an award-winning blues and jazz guitarist from Lexington. Cash: 6 Feet High & Rising, a Tribute to Johnny Cash will play at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9. The Downtown Country Band will close out the season at MoonDance at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15; the band is renowned for their new take on the traditional jug band sound.
Children under 12 are admitted for free. For tickets, call (859) 225-0370 or visit www.lexarts.tix.com.
Trinity Hill Golf Scramble Fundraiser scheduled for October 15
Trinity Hill Child Center, a non-profit childcare that has served the Lexington area for the past 28 years, will host a golf scramble fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Connemara Golf Course, with a 7:30 a.m. breakfast and an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. The cost to participate is $65 a person and the tournament will feature prizes. For more information, call (859) 273-9526.
St. Raphael "gently used" purse sale to benefit local community service groups
St. Raphael Episcopal Church will host its 6th annual "gently used" purse sale on Saturday, Oct. 8. The sale, which started as a membership drive, has been open to the public for the past three years, with money raised now going toward a number of community-driven service projects, including Camp Haven, One Parent Scholar House and the St. Agnes House. The sale features hundreds of gently used purses and will be open from 1-3 p.m. St. Raphael is located at 1891 Parkers Mill Rd.
City seeks Christmas trees for downtown decor
The city of Lexington is seeking three perfectly shaped evergreen trees for downtown holiday decor use, to be decorated by the city and lit starting Nov. 25. The trees will be erected in Triangle Park, at Third Street and Midland Avenue, and in front of the Kentucky Utilities building at Quality Street.
Trees can be Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce or Douglas Fir (no white pine, please), pyramid shaped and very full, especially at the bottom, and 40-50 feet high and 20-25 feet wide. Kentucky Utilities and the city will remove at no cost to the owner. Please contact LexCall at 3-1-1 or 425-2255 before Oct. 30
Winterblitz working for warmer homes this winter
Winterblitz, a new collaboration between Kentucky Utilities and the Community Action Council, is seeking volunteers to help winterize community homes in need. Teams of 3-5 people, organized by a team leader, will show up at 8 a.m. on Oct. 15th and perform tasks that include installing plastic on windows, caulking and installing low-flow shower heads for water conservation. Materials will be provided by Kentucky Utilities and Kentucky American Water.
Team leaders will attend a training workshop, which are offered at 913 Georgetown St. on Oct. 6 (8:30 a.m.), and Oct. 13 (12 p.m). For more information on volunteering, call (859) 233-4600 ext. 1210.
Vendors sought for
LMSA Holiday Bazaar
Vendors are now being accepted for the Lexington Medical Society Alliance Holiday Bazaar. People interested in a booth at the event should contact Starr Kramer at (859) 229-0392 by Nov. 1. The bazaar takes place 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Clarion Hotel (1950 Newtown Pike). The funds raised from the event will benefit the LMSA Allied School of Health Scholarships, given to undergraduate students in health-related fields in need of financial aid.
Business Notes
Lexington's longest-standing personal training company, Fitness Plus, opened a new branch in Bellerive Plaza called Fitness Plus II in late September. Fitness Plus II will operate in the same manner as the other Fitness Plus studios,
offering personal training and other wellness services, such as massage, flexibility training, yoga and Pilates, on a one-on-one basis, with no membership fees, no contracts and no pre-paid packages. Clients of Fitness Plus and Fitness Plus II have unlimited access to the cardio workout area, at no additional charge, between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. six days a week.
Fitness Plus was established by Sheila Kalas in 1995, and the president and owner of Fitness Plus II will be Josh Sato. The new facility is the first branch of Fitness Plus to have a different independent owner/operator. Other branches are located on N. Ashland Ave. and in Thoroughbred Square in downtown Versailles.