It was an incredible site to walk into the Castine Center on Sunday night, ready to take in the fundraiser for the planned Children’s Museum of St. Tammany.
The 8th annual “Celebration” benefit event being put on by the Board of Trustees for the Children’s Museum (CMST) is part of the ongoing work to raise the early funds needed to be certain the right steps are being taken in planning this fantastic facility that will one day sit in the St. Tammany Cultural Arts District.
I’ve said many times before that I think I’m becoming some kind of expert on fundraisers, charity groups, non-profit benefits—it’s all kind of the same thing, but continually for different groups who are all about doing one thing—helping our community and the people who live here.
The “incredible site” I referred to was the decorations and presentation that “Celebration: A Treasure Odyssey” gave to the guests and supporters as they walked in. And did I mention it was a sold-out event with over 1,300 people?
Since bringing the two local papers back to St. Tammany Parish in 2009, now with The Slidell Independent and Tammany West covering the east and west, respectively, I have felt led to be a big supporter of all the groups who are trying to do so much good in our parish.
I’m a Christian who knows how a little guy like myself ended up owning and operating these two papers—quite a miracle in itself to be given the money by a bank to start a newspaper in these perilous economic times. I know that the only reason I am the owner of these newspapers is because God opened the door for me to be given the money to do this.
That is the reason I do my best to use these papers for the utmost good I can, all while being responsible to report news fairly and give each side of the parish their own hometown paper.
That’s where the non-profits and community groups come in. From the beginning of the first paper in January, 2009 I was continually linking up with these groups. As they all slowly found out we had a local paper again, they were coming to me to publicize their fundraising event. And each time, I tried to go the extra mile for these groups of local volunteers.
I’ve not only written a lot of feature stories on the people involved in these groups, but I go to as many of these fundraisers and benefit events as I can. Just look at our papers each week and see how many pictures of local people we run and you’ll know that it is something we feature prominently on our pages.
The reason is because I’ve gotten to know dozens, even hundreds of these volunteers in a personal way. I interview them and find out who they are and why they are so passionate to give of their own free time to help others. Over-and-over I walk away so impressed with different people and their desire to simply do something good for our community, and the neighbors we all know.
The Children’s Museum is one more example of that, as is the Chef Soiree that will be held this Sunday night, March 15, at Bogue Falaya Park in Covington. Both of these events are parishwide in that they are raising funds for something that will benefit all of us in St. Tammany, whether you are on the east or west side.
The Children’s Museum is a massive undertaking by the Junior League of Greater Covington, but it will be a key component of the St. Tammany Cultural Arts District to be situated off I-12 at Hwy. 21 in Covington. Believe me, it won’t matter what side of the parish you live on, you will want to go, and especially take your kids to what promises to be a truly fantastic place.
But to get this museum, or to realize the incredible services we all get from the Youth Service Bureau that is supported by the Chef Soiree on Sunday night, it takes a heroic level of volunteerism. It takes so many people who are doing it for no other reason than to make our community better.
And that is why we all love living here. That is why so many others want to move to St. Tammany Parish. That is why 40,000 people rushed here after Hurricane Katrina hit, and 40,000 people never left. We are the only parish in the state that retained most of the New Orleans area evacuees after the storm.
The Children’s Museum is moving forward with the most ambitious, and most challenging, fundraising effort I’ve seen in the history of our parish. But the support I’m already seeing for it shows how much people in our parish are willing to give—both of their money and their time—to continue improving a parish that is easily the best place in this state to live.
That’s what was so incredible about the scene on Sunday. It was clear that our parish residents and business owners want to support this project, even knowing it may have a price tag near $10 million.
And to see the Chef Soiree each year in Covington, and know how many volunteers help make that crazy party happen every year, it always reminds me about the wonderful people in this parish who work year-round to make that happen.
Keep supporting the fundraisers St. Tammany. From the businesses that give so much to them all (yet another story), to the volunteers who make them happen, it’s the reason we all want to be here.
Kevin Chiri can be reached by e-mail at kevinchiri@gmail.com.