006 SADDLE UP TO HELP THE CHILDREN JULY 26

SADDLE UP TO HELP THE CHILDREN JULY 26
Annual Fundraiser for Project HELP Slated for Miller Coliseum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2007

EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385

(MURFREESBORO)—Yee-haw! More than 300 cowpokes will be dusting off their finest Western duds to “Saddle Up for Project HELP” at the 2007 fundraiser, set for Thursday, July 26, at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum, 304-B W. Thompson Lane.
The fun gets under way at 6:30 p.m. with event registration. A barbecue dinner will be served at 7 p.m., followed by live music and dancing. Silent auction bidding will close at 8:15 p.m., and auction checkout will be at 8:30 p.m.
Last year’s fundraiser collected $25,792, said Project HELP Director Susan Waldrop, who added that she’s confident that community support for this year’s benefit will be just as strong.
“Although my tenure at Project Help has been brief, the gratifying experiences have been extensive,” Waldrop said. “From those experiences I have repeatedly observed the unique connection of Project HELP with the Rutherford County community. MTSU has provided an excellent forum for children and families to be united with the kinds of services and support that make a difference in their lives.
“With the additional contributions, we hope to continue to provide preventions, as well as interventions, for families who have children with disabilities or delays. The other outcome of this process is that we are able to offer families with toddlers who are typically developing a really fine preschool.”
Founded in 1983, the nonprofit Project HELP provides early intervention and family support services to high-risk children, children with disabilities and children with developmental delays up to age 3.
Project HELP, which just began its 11th year in its North Baird Lane facility, currently serves 24 special-needs children and 12 typical children in three classrooms. There are about 45 children who qualify for the program but are on a waiting list because of a lack of space.
The center’s staff, which includes more than 280 student volunteers each semester, works with parents through family support programs, which include workshops, one-to-one interactions and informal training seminars that focus on specific instructional techniques.
Grants from the Tennessee Department of Education through Early Intervention Services and the United Way of Rutherford County and Cannon Counties partially fund Project HELP’s work. The Charity Circle of Rutherford County also is a major contributor to Project HELP, providing the center with much-needed equipment, toys and consumable items.
Although the center’s staff members are grateful for the ongoing support, they admit they need additional money to help meet the organization’s child-centered mission. Fundraisers like the July 26 “Saddle Up!” event target those goals.
Waldrop said that funds raised by the event will be used to expand the existing program via morning classes offered at an additional MTSU site, as well as to supplement the monies needed for daily operations.
Items up for bid at the silent auction include a $200 travel voucher from Southwest Airlines; a cosmetic laser facial package valued at $1,350 from Rejuvenate Cosmetic Laser Center; tickets to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Dollywood, Tennessee Aquarium, Ryman Auditorium, Nashville Zoo and Nashville Shores; and MUCH more.
Individual tickets, which include a meal and two drinks, are $50 each. They’re available by calling the center at 615-898-2458. The evening’s dress code is casual.
For more information about Project HELP, please visit its Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~projhelp/.

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IN BRIEF: Project HELP, MTSU’s nonprofit early intervention and family support program for young children with disabilities, will conduct its annual fundraiser, “Saddle Up for Project HELP,” on Thursday, July 26, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum, 304-B W. Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro. Individual tickets for a barbecue dinner, live music and dancing, and a silent auction are $50. For ticket information, please call 615-898-2458; for more on Project HELP, please visit its Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~projhelp/.

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NOTE: Media needing a color Project HELP logo or a headshot of Director Susan Waldrop should contact the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!