On Saturday, October 14th, CCJ hosted our 9th Annual Fall Fundraiser in the Stone Pavilion at Washington Park. It was a celebration of our shared commitment to safeguarding our communities and environment from the impacts of extraction. This annual event raises funds to support CCJ’s mission of educating, empowering, and organizing coalfield residents around environmental and economic issues. We are delighted to say our fundraiser was a huge success! We had over 80 people in attendance and raised $3,200 for environmental justice in Washington and Greene Counties! We couldn’t have done this without the support of people and businesses in our community.
The mid October night was a bit cool and rainy, but our gathering felt warm despite the weather. This event often highlights the connections we’ve made throughout the year, and this time was no exception! We had the opportunity to spend time with friends and supporters from across the region who supported CCJ and their neighbors on a variety of issues like bringing clean water to New Freeport, processing and highlighting the results of the Pitt Public Health Study, implementing air monitors in Washington and Greene Counties, and so much more!
We hope that if you attended, you were also able to share time with some familiar faces and to forge new connections.
This year we were deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from local businesses. We were able to showcase the generosity of over 100 artists, small businesses, restaurants, and other donors from across Southwestern Pennsylvania that support our crucial work. Some prizes that were won throughout the evening included fresh produce from local farms, original works of art from local artists, homemade quilts, a stay at Ross Farm’s B&B with a chef’s dinner, and over 50 gift cards from local restaurants, shops, and small businesses. We are proud that our raffle and auction celebrated the incredible talent and skill of the people that make up our community. We were sure to share these donations on social media, include printed “artist highlights” next to all the art, and encouraged our supporters to do business with the partners in our community that support us. For a full list of donors, please check out this Facebook post and consider supporting these donors in the future!
We made it a point to utilize local small businesses for the entirety of the event. We served Rusty Gold beer made in Canonsburg, a variety of wines from The Washington Winery, and a delightful pasta bar from Angela Taylor Craft Catering. We decorated the pavilion with beautiful fall flowers from Kindred Flower Farm in Eighty-Four and hosted a variety of musicians – The Dan Baker Trio, and Patti Spadaro – who are based in Southwestern PA!
We are also proud to ensure that this is a waste-free event. Our dishes and glasses were rented from Diane’s Dishware – she even took the leftovers and packed them to be given out at a local community pantry! Check her out for a waste-free option for your next event.
Our Executive Director, Sarah Martik, and our Board President, Rick Heinze, gave updates about all of CCJ’s work in the region. All in all, it was a pretty great way to celebrate CCJ’s 29th year in service to Washington and Greene Counties.
We greatly appreciate every single person who attended the event, donated tickets, or made a virtual contribution. With the support of our community members, CCJ can continue to fight for our region and its people, so from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you all for this special night.If you weren’t able to attend the event but would like to become a member to help sustain our work, you can do so here.
Our next big event, in the spring, will be our well-attended Annual Seed Swap.
If you are interested in providing support, volunteering for future events, or learning more about CCJ’s mission, you can contact Allison Evans at Allison@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org
