Worthy President John Watkins chose Fisher House Michigan as his charity this year, and he chaired the event, solicited most of the donations, recruited a team of volunteers, and kept everything running smoothly. Thank you, John. You worked tirelessly to bring everything together, while also working full-time at your regular job, and we appreciate your efforts.
John's team of volunteers included his wife, Toni Watkins, and Diane Moore, Nancy McFall, Nancy Fruit, Gary & Kathy Smith, Thom & Cynthia Price, Ginger Bruder, Tela Fountain, Barb Tomlinson, Rozanne Ogger, Dianne Cullen, Dave & Kerry Droste, Virginia Truran, Lenny Wojtyna, and our Trustees. There are dozens and dozens of details that need to be taken care of when we host an event and these were the people who took care of them. Take a bow, everyone. You did a great job.
We also want to thank Catering by Kevin in Canton for the delicious meal he provided and Wicked Hipsters for the great music. Their lead singer had a sore throat but still made sure the show went on, along with a little help from some friends. The audience never noticed and the tunes kept on coming.
Our guest speaker for the evening was Katherine Hay, Secretary for the Fisher House Michigan Board of Directors. We thank her for sharing her personal story of how she became involved with Fisher House, and for explaining how important Fisher Houses are for our veterans and their families. We noticed there weren't too many dry eyes in the house when she finished speaking. Our veterans were especially moved.
We also want to thank our Van Buren Eagle Riders #3996 for their very generous donation. Their President, John Neal, and member Joe Poston, presented a check for $700 to Katherine Hay and John Watkins on behalf of Fisher House Michigan.
Finally, we would like to thank all the businesses, individuals, and community groups who donated money or items for our raffles and auctions, and everyone who attended and spent money on raffle tickets and auctions. YOU made it possible for us to help Fisher House Michigan and our veterans and their families. Again, thank you.