Staff members of Rittenhouse Village at Portage came together at the Bonner Senior Center on Tuesday afternoon to present the Bonner center a donation check.
This donation stems from a combination of two fundraisers Rittenhouse has hosted, the 3rd Annual Vera Bradley Bingo Fundraiser and this year’s 5th annual St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner Fundraiser.
“The center is funded through the Portage Township trustee so it's always excellent when the center receives donations,” stated Bonner Senior Center Director, Janet Clem. “We truly do appreciate Rittenhouse. We’ve been partnering with them for about eight years now and they are always there to lend a helping hand, whether it be to provide cake for the seniors events or to supply gifts for bingo night winners - they are always there for us.”
Key members of Rittenhouse Village came to deliver the donation to the Bonner Senior Center, including their Executive Director, Marsha Leonard.
“We at Rittenhouse Village love to give back to seniors,” said Leonard. “The Bonner Senior Center goes above and beyond for the senior community of Portage and if there is anything that we can do to help them, we want to be there.”
The two organizations met on Bonner’s plush green lawn for the presentation of the $1,285 donation check. According to Leonard, the two fundraisers raised a cumulative of $2,570 and Rittenhouse has been committed to splitting the earnings between both the Bonner Senior Center and the Maria Reiner Center.
“Our most recent Vera Bradley Bingo fundraiser was such a major success,” said Leonard. “Ticket sales were at $30 per person and over eighty seniors came out that night, it was truly amazing.”
The Bonner Senior Center plans to allocate the money to help operate the facility, host events for their seniors and to help in the creation of a memorial garden to commemorate one of the center's most loved persons who passed away a few years ago, Bruce Creasy.
“Bruce was a past Portage Township trustee and has been working at the Center for quite a number of years,” said current Portage Township Trustee, Brendan Clancy. “He was truly a staple to our community here at the Bonner Center. Bruce was always in a cheery mood and was always ready to lend a helping hand. While he was here, he started up our senior garden and has been helping them cultivate produce that we donate to our local food pantry. The memorial garden will be placed in front of our current garden and we do believe that it is truly the best way to celebrate his legacy.”
According to Leonard, Rittenhouse is gearing up for their annual Car Show Fundraiser and their Vera Bradley Bingo Fundraiser. The bingo event is slated for Saturday, November 3rd. Ticket sales should begin around September.
To receive more information on how you can contribute, you can visit the Bonner Senior Center at 5800 Lexington Ave and Rittenhouse Village at Portage at 6235 Sterling Creek Road or you can visit the website at https://www.rittenhousevillages.com/rittenhouse-village-at-portage/.