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TO SUPPORTIVE DONORS 4EVENT COLLABORATES AID TO NONPROFITS AND GIVES BACK
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
In these times of escalating prices and a lagging economy, it is not easy for nonprofit organizations to cover the costs involved with their efforts to improve quality of life. Though the island's 100-plus nonprofits all have an essentially similar underlying mission to make Nantucket a better place for its citizens, until now they have each been extending their individual hands trying to obtain the same dollar donation from able benefactors.

The Shingles will perform on April 11 at the 'Sconset Casino as part of entertainment included in "4," a unique collaborative fundraiser. The group's members are (l. to r.) Mike Kopko, Cary Hazlegrove, Dave Provost, Chris Westerlund and Andy Bullington.

Enter Cary Hazlegrove, whose daughter is a student at Nantucket Lighthouse School, one of those many local nonprofit organizations. For the last six years, the school held a May Fest spring fundraiser hoping to garner much needed financial assistance to maintain the private school for children three to 12. Hazlegrove came up with a new idea that makes good sense - hold a collaborative fundraising event that will not only benefit more than one nonprofit at a time, it will thank willing donors by giving back to them by way of an entertaining evening.

On Friday, April 11 a unique fundraiser called "4" will be held at the 'Sconset Casino (it will be heated) when patrons will enjoy food, drinks, music, the debut of a slide show produced by Hazlegrove, a well-known professional photographer, multiple silent auctions and the raffle of a spanking new Jeep Patriot. The event will provide a sharing of fundraising for the Lighthouse School, Nantucket Land Council, Nantucket Preservation Trust and Sustainable Nantucket.

Hazlegrove, who hopes this concept represents the future of island fundraising, said she had a few reasons for developing the idea. For one thing, many of the charitable and service organizations are united in their dedication and all seem necessary to con- tinue because of their varying ways to make the island a better place to live.

"Nantucket has become so much more educated and more populated that nonprofits have popped up to support that," she said. "People who choose to live here require more services, such as good schools and land preservation. The Lighthouse School loved the idea [to band together]. My personal hope is that this is wildly successful. I would love to see more people getting together. It's harder and harder to get people to come to these events and give their last dollar."

Beyond the Lighthouse School, several nonprofits besides the other three sharing the April 11 occasion were contacted about joining the event, but some had already completed their annual fundraising calendar. Lighthouse School co-founder Lizbet Carroll Fuller is thrilled at the new prospect.

"Many of us are working in the same vein in different concepts. For me, in terms of representing the school, I think it's going to be a night of celebrating everything we love about Nantucket," said Fuller. "The word sustainability speaks to all the aspects of cultural, natural and architectural history that people love here, and to remind us we have so much to preserve yet we're not a museum - we all live here.

"All the work each organization is doing depends upon volunteers, and so many are coming forward to help with the event," she added. "There are a lot of Nantucket people working together. Our missions overlap and our core values are similar."

The event will last from 6 to 9 p.m. Hazlegrove will debut her new 35 mm slide show called "30 Years of Island Faces" which depicts candid and touching moments in the lives of Nantucket residents during the last three decades. Music will be provided by "The Shingles," featuring Hazlegrove, Andy Bullington (her husband), David Provost, Mike Kopko and Chris Westerlund, as well as by faculty of the Nantucket Community Music Center. Food will be provided by Nantucket Catering Company and beverages will come from Cisco Brewery. There will be four individual silent auctions per represented nonprofit, with proceeds from sales of donated items going only to that particular organization. The Lighthouse School will draw the winning raffle ticket for a Jeep Patriot, and will also hold a small live auction with about six items to offset the expense of

leasing the casino, the food and drinks. I

Tickets are only available at Nantucket Lighthouse School at 62 Fairgrounds Road. Tickets for the event are $75. Tickets for the Jeep raffle are $50 each or three for $100. Raffle tickets will be sold until the drawing occurs. For more information call the school at 228-0427.