Behind the Headlines

I work on the Community Page section at The Monroe Evening News. That means that at some point, every notice for a fundraiser or benefit in Monroe County, Mich., that is sent to the newspaper crosses my desk.

I put those fundraiser notices on the MonroeTalks calendar, and I schedule them on the Community Page in our print and e-editions.

One of the developments in the Nevaeh Buchanan case is that there are  restaurant benefits taking place to raise money for one of the funds in her name … and the proceeds, at this point, are likely to be used for funeral expenses.

Some of our readers on the monroenews.com comment boards and the MonroeTalks discussion boards have been wondering about the concept of restaurant fundraisers. While most questions involve where the money will be spent, there also have been questions about the concept in general.

After all, isn’t a fundraiser event really free advertising for a restaurant?

Don’t the restaurants make money anyway on the extra traffic from customers who want to support a fundraiser?

The answer is: take it or leave it. There are always other opportunities to contribute to any cause. Feel free to donate directly to a charity or benefit fund if that is your preference. Keep in mind there also are people who don’t like product fundraisers, or mail appeals, or umbrella campaigns. To each their own.

But fundraising via corporate partnerships, in itself, is not unusual. During the past couple of years, I have noticed a significant shift in the local fundraising atmosphere toward such an approach in lieu of direct cash donations from the business.

For example, Kroger and Meijer donate to causes that customers specifically designate on their shopper card accounts.

Many of the local stores or restaurants have, in recent years, decorated their walls with paper feet, paper hearts or paper shamrocks in celebration of customers’ donations to a featured charity.

Many of the free and low-cost community events we take for granted in Monroe, Mich., simply would not happen without corporate support. The annual River Raisin Jazz Festival in downtown Monroe is one such example. On a smaller scale, the State Farm Insurance office in New Boston recently hosted a free child safety event

And The Monroe Evening News really does receive several notices each month about this or that restaurant donating a percentage of its receipts on an off-peak night to a particular charity benefit or cause. Perhaps you heard about Camp Day, which was a charity promotion at Tim Hortons that took place June 3.

Yes, these partnerships and sponsorships do result in free publicity for the businesses, restaurants and corporate partners. I frequently have to tone down the commercial spin from the original press releases when I’m typing up event and fundraiser notices for the newspaper.

But if you live in Monroe, Mich., you know that an atmosphere of service and giving is part of our community personality – whether you are a fifth-grader collecting food pantry donations, whether you are a civic club member who is leading a charity golf outing to raise funds for a scholarship, … or whether you are a restaurant owner or manager that has decided to donate some of your business proceeds to a cause.

– Paula Wethington