Happy Hour for Hope at CJ’s a Huge Success

CJ’s on the Bay was the place to be for the February Happy Hour for Hope hosted by Sunrise Rotary of Marco Island. With a delicious spread of appetizers, happy hour drinks, and entertainment by Jason Beal, this fundraiser for Meals of Hope was enjoyed by all. 

The words happy and hope combine to best describe the mission of this non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Meals of Hope serves our community by organizing programs that package and distribute meals to those in need. On Marco Island, it is the combined efforts of Sunrise Rotary, Noontime Rotary, and the Kiwanis Club that bring hope and happiness in the effort to eliminate hunger in our area. 

The three clubs take turns hosting Happy Hours for Hope at participating local restaurants. It was Sunrise Rotary’s turn at the CJ’s event, and what a fabulous event it was! The familiar smiling faces of Marco Islanders from various clubs and organizations, including the Fire Foundation, Rotary, Kiwanis, and the Marco Island Woman’s Club, joined together in this good time for a good cause. 

All funds raised at Happy Hours for Hope, including the suggested admission donation of just $20 and proceeds from 50-50 drawings, will be used to purchase raw materials for the food packaging event in November. Last year our community packaged 198,000 meals in three hours at a cost of $57,000. 

We need your help in raising these funds. We are asking eighteen members of our community to step forward to become Friends of Hope. For the small fee of $650 for individuals, or $750 for businesses, Friends of Hope will add a financial boost to this worthy endeavor. Friends of Hope will receive several benefits, including free admission to all 2024 Happy Hours for Hope, engraved name tags for all events, name recognition on our banner and website, guaranteed table assignment, if so desired, at the Meals of Hope packaging event, and recognition in Meals of Hope press releases. At each Happy Hour for Hope, a member of Friends of Hope will be recognized and will be featured in the promotion of the event. For more information about Friends of Hope, please contact the Friends of Hope Committee, c/o William G. Morris at wgm@wgmorrislaw.com. 

Stay tuned for upcoming information on our March Happy Hour for Hope at SpeakEasy, hosted by the Kiwanis Club. It will be an event you will surely not want to miss! And be sure to mark your calendars now for March 17, St. Patrick’s Day at Stan’s in Goodland for a Meals of Hope 50-50 fundraiser! Let’s join together to eliminate hunger in our community!