Guests will dine on hors d’oeuvres, start bidding and then dance the night away Saturday, Feb. 26 at Alpha Delta Pi’s ninth annual silent auction and benefit for the Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House Charities Inc. The benefit, with the theme “A Night in Paris,” will be held at The Carnegie in a room the hotel donated for the event. In the past five years ADPi has raised more than $82,000 for the SARMHC, making the ETSU chapter one of the top ADPi chapters in the nation for funds raised to support the RMH. “Each day I see how the money raised helps families,” said Whitney Sangid, SARMHC assistant director of the temporary home for families of seriously ill children in area hospitals.

Tickets for the benefit, sponsored by the ETSU Gamma Phi chapter of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, are $30 and the event is open to the community, starting at 7:30 p.m. in The Carnegie Grand Ballroom.

Guests have a chance to contribute to the SARMHC by bidding on the silent auction items. The money raised through ticket sales, auction items and monetary donations from members of the community will be donated to the SARMHC.

Members of ADPi are gathering donations from various businesses throughout the Tri-Cities to get supplies for the baskets that are auctioned.

“A bunch of businesses in the Tri-Cities area have been generous to donate to the cause” [for the baskets], said Tabitha Bentley, ADPi philanthropy chair.

This year, ADPi members are working in groups to create various themed baskets to be auctioned. Each group is assigned a theme such as an “outdoor basket” or a “car basket” and they are responsible for getting items in each category donated, Bentley said.

“The ladies in ADPi do a wonderful job hosting the benefit,” Sangid said. ADPi has an outstanding auction that gives guests a great way to learn about the SARMHC, Sangid said.

“I really enjoyed the benefit because I knew the proceeds from the tickets and the auctioned items were going toward a good cause in the community,” said Cara Chute, a 2010 benefit attendee.

The SARMHC, located next to the Johnson City Medical Center, asks families for a $10 contribution per night but no one is ever turned away if they are unable to pay, Sangid said. “Money raised from the benefit goes toward general day to day operations of the House,” Sangid said. “It costs us about $79 a day to house each family.”

The SARMHC staff and recipients are thankful for ADPi’s contribution each year through their support and dedication to the house, Sangid said.

“It is amazing what college women can do,” said Susan McClellan, ADPi Gamma Phi chapter adviser, “and the major impact they can have on families lives when they come together and have a common goal.”

For information or tickets, please contact Tabitha Bentley at (423) 202-8782.

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