HUGHESVILLE, Md. – It was an energetic night at the Hughesville American Legion Post as community members packed the house for a fundraiser unlike any other in southern Maryland.
The Southern Maryland Association of Realtors® (SMAR) hosted their 7th annual “Bras and Drawers for the Cause,” to directly support the nonprofit “A Message Of Hope Cancer Fund.” After a record-breaking fundraiser two years ago, the association has raised the bar once again, accumulating over $17,911 in total donations.
The event featured men and women dressing in decorated “bras and drawers” and a variety of costumes, dancing around the room in hopes of raising the most money for charity.
The event also featured a live auction, a silent auction, and balloon pops. Each balloon popped contained a ticket to win a gift card donated by various local businesses.
“The night was a huge success,” SMAR 2020 President and the chairwoman of SMAR Cares Tanya Redding said of the event. “Having our members and the community come together after a year that was so hard on all of us was phenomenal. We crushed our expectations, and the southern Maryland community will be the ones who directly benefit from the generosity we saw.”
By the end of the night, SMAR’s members and affiliates had raised a total of over $16,120 that goes to A Message Of Hope Cancer Fund and $1,791 for SMAR Cares, the charitable arm of the association.
On October 26, 2021, SMAR Cares Director Connie Gunn was joined by SMAR’s community relations committee co-chair Patrick Hilwig, community relations committee member Kate Brown, SMAR’s community relations staff liaison Kelly Raley, and A Message Of Hope President Jimmy Hayden to present a giant check for the donation.
“This was our best year yet. Helping A Message of Hope has always been one mission and SMAR Cares is excited we can continue to fulfill our role as one of their largest supporters, year after year,” Gunn said at the presentation. “Helping local families throughout our community is one of the many things Realtors stand for.”
SMAR Cares is hoping to continue its charitable success with an even bigger event next year.
“This is the 7th year that they have been hosting this fundraiser,” Hayden said. “We really appreciate all the support we get from the Southern Maryland Association of REALTORS®.”
The association would like to take the opportunity to thank the event sponsors and major contributors: First Home Mortgage, Waterstone Mortgage, Capitol Title Insurance Agency, Lakeside Title Company, Bayview Title, REMAX 100, REMAX One, Leonard Realty, Print Links, First Washington Mortgage, Blue Crab Title, Jeff Gay, EXIT By The Bay Realty, Stage & Co and Fairway Mortgage. We would also like to thank our silent auction sponsors: Southern Maryland Blue Crabs; Seabreeze Restaurant & Tiki Bar; Carrabba’s; Helen’s Café; Green Turtle in LaPlata; Krystal Clear Cleaning; Lighthouse Restaurant; April Sage; East Coast Collision; Paramount Property Management; Carrie Parent; Natalie Wood; The Beauty Bar in LaPlata; and the White Plains Moose Lodge – Waldorf Division.
Coming in December, SMAR is planning a “Senior Santa” collaboration, where nursing homes will provide names of elderly residents with little to no family in their lives who can be shopped for during the holidays by community members.