Community Fundraiser to Support
Cortland Area Cares

The communities of Cortland and Bazetta will come together for a special fund raising event on October 29, titled the Cortland Area Cares Community Fundraiser, which is being held as part of the national and local "Make-A-Difference Day" efforts occurring in October.  The event will be an exhibition basketball game and show between the internationally-acclaimed Harlem Ambassadors and the newly formed Mosquito Lakers.  The event is part of a community-wide fund raising effort to help the areas largest community food pantry, Cortland Area Cares, in its efforts to meet the hunger needs of individuals and families within the Cortland and Bazetta area.

Inspired by a presentation in October of last year by Debbie King, President of Cortland Area Cares, regarding the growing hunger issues of needy individuals and families within the communities of Cortland and Bazetta, the Rotary Club of Cortland set out to initiate and organize a community-wide fund raising event to  respond to this growing situation and support the efforts of Cortland Area Cares.

A special Humanitarian Services Committee was formed by several members of Cortland Rotary, who then developed and presented a proposal to its Board of Directors to organize a Cortland Area Cares Community Fundraiser that, hopefully, would involve the entire community and not just Rotary.  The Rotary Board wholeheartedly approved the project, which involved bringing an exhibition basketball game and show to the community for a special evening of family fun and entertainment.  The initial funding was approved to secure an agreement with the internationally-acclaimed exhibition basketball team, the Harlem Ambassadors, to bring their 10th Anniversary Tour to Cortland for this fund raising event.

Since initiating the project, full support has been gained from the 8 member churches of the Lakeview Outreach and Fellowship (LOAF), along with the Cortland-Bazetta Optimist Club, Cortland Kiwanis Club, Cortland Lions Club and the Lakeview School System, which will host the game and show.  The event will take place on Monday, October 29 at 6:30 PM.

Tickets are now on sale through the supporting organizations and at the Wollam Insurance Agency at 214 W. Main Street, Monday thru Friday 9 AM To 5 PM, through Rotarian Rod Zeck.  He can be contacted at 330-637-4045 or 330-502-9663.  All tickets are being sold on a first- come first-serve basis.

Supporting Organization Tickets are being coordinated and distributed through the office of Rotarian Mike Craig at Hill Barth & King CPA's at 260 Niles Cortland Rd., NE, and he can be contacted for additional information, Monday thru Friday 9 AM To 5 PM, at 330-856-2733.

Ticket Prices are as follows:  $7.00 - Adults  ~  $5.00 - Children & Students 18 Years & Under

Additional sponsoring information and support from other local community service organizations, churches and businesses continues to be sought.  More information regarding this and the event can be found on the Cortland Rotary web site at:  www.rotaryclubofcortland.org

Other sponsorships are being offered to support this fund raising effort in the following categories and all sponsors will be recognized at the event, based on the following levels of sponsorship:

Quarter Sponsorships @ $300/Quarter  ~  Player Sponsorships @ $200/Player
Event Sponsorships @ $100
(All Sponsorships are for businesses, individuals, families, special groups or organizations.)

Cortland Rotary is also seeking to identify "skilled" and "reasonably skilled" players for our hometown team that will play against the Harlem Ambassadors.  The team has been officially named the Mosquito Lakers and has even developed its own logo, which will begin to appear around the community.  Anyone interested in being a player should download and submit a Player Registration Form from the "Downloads" of the Cortland Rotary web site or contact the Event Chairman, John Billock, for additional information.  He can be reached as follows:

Day time phone:  330-856-2553  ~  Evening & Weekends: 330-638-0523
E-mail: jnbillock@aol.com

This promises to be the family event of the year for Cortland!  You won't want to miss the game and show between the slam dunking Harlem Ambassadors and our hometown Mosquito Lakers, as the community comes together in support of Cortland Area Cares for the needy individuals and families of our community.