Bill Cleary, who had purchased several tickets for the Friends of WomenSafe Grand Raffle was surprised and delighted when he got the phone call telling him that he won the $1,000.00 grand prize!
Marilyn Harman, former member of the FOW Board of Directors made the check presentation on Thursday, December 15th at a meeting of the Chardon Toastmasters, of which they are both members. When asked how he felt about this windfall Mr. Cleary said: “I especially like to support small local charities, because I know the need is real, and where the money is being spent. Friends of WomenSafe is one of my favorites because 100% of the money they earn goes to help a much needed, life changing cause.”
Nancy Temple, FOW President commented “I was especially pleased that Bill won this raffle. He has consistently supported our fundraising efforts.” When asked how he plans to spend his winnings, Mr. Cleary said: “I used some of my winnings to replace a worn out tool, and the rest of the money I will give back to charity.”
Friends of WomenSafe sold 358 tickets for their Grand Raffle, an effort that raised $3,300 for domestic violence prevention efforts in Geauga County. Domestic violence traumatizes victims, endangers children, harms families and threatens communities.
According to recent reports from the Department of Justice, four women are murdered by boyfriends or husbands every day in our country. Every nine seconds a woman is assaulted and beaten. Seventy percent of men who batter their partners also abuse their children.
Children who are subjected to domestic violence often grow up to inflict violence on others, creating a cycle of violence that must be stopped. WomenSafe has been providing shelter and a full range of support services, free of charge, to thousands of women and children for over 35 years.
Friends of WomenSafe is an all volunteer organization consisting of members at two levels: Sustaining Members and Participating Members. The lifeblood of the organization is the Participating members. They serve on committees, work at events, and invest their time and energy to raise money to help families in situations where they’re unable to help themselves. FOW has given $323,000.00 to WomenSafe since their inception in 2007. Please contact them at 440-285-3741 if you’d like to work with them to become part of the solution.
Pictured In Photo: Mantua resident Bill Cleary accepting $1,000.00 Grand Raffle winning check from Friends Of WomenSafe Participating Member Marilyn Harman.
