Tickets for an annual Boys & Girls Club fundraiser in Jefferson City may be sold out, but there are still ways the community can help provide scholarships for children, officials say.
The Boys & Girls Club of the Capital City's Third Annual Cork, Fork and Brews is set for 5:30 p.m. June 2 at Capitol Plaza Hotel. The evening includes samplings from 24 different chefs, bakers, wine makers and master brewers.
Four hundred tickets have already been sold, selling out the event. But individuals can contribute by calling the Boys & Girls Club and sponsoring a child or children.
Last year, the event raised $95,000 for the agency. Stephanie Johnson, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club, said this year's goal is $100,000.
"This is our backbone fundraiser," she said. "This money scholarships kids into our program and has come to be very important to us."
During the 2011-12 school year, the Boys & Girls Club had 32 kids on scholarship.
The next year, with the start of Cork, Fork and Brews, the club was able to scholarship 183 kids. In 2013-14, 402 kids had scholarships to attend the program.
"It's so important because not only do we provide a place for them to go, but we provide a hot dinner and help with their homework, and we give the kids a sense of family," Johnson said. "The ones that need us the most are the ones that can't afford to pay, so it's really important that we're able to continue that scholarship fund."
If you would like to sponsor a child to attend the Boys & Girls Club, contact the agency at 573-634-2582.