Happy New Year, everyone!
Like
many of you, we at the ICHC are hoping for better things in 2009. We are
still being presented with many challenges, and our hopes of working with
a capital campaign manager have been temporarily put on hold. Through many
discussions with experts, we have been advised to widen our support base
before venturing into a big campaign. The good news is that Kris Pluskota
and Vicki Hastings have been working hard on a big fundraiser that will
help do just that. Blarney Bingo, which will be held on February 20th,
will be a major event for the ICHC, and we need your help to make it a
success. It will be a fun way to give support to the cultural center. Please
find out more about this fundraiser in this newsletter and get your friends
and relatives signed up. I'm very excited about this event, and I thank
Kris and Vicki for taking this on!
Another challenge we are faced with this new year is the need for more volunteers. We have been blessed over the years with many dedicated workers, but as we endeavor to widen our support base, we also create more jobs to be done. We are in desperate need of volunteers to help with mailing thank-you letters to donors (which can be done from your home), putting together ad booklets for our feis and Blarney Bingo, and answering our phone weekday afternoons. We also have a need for a licensed boiler mechanic to help us maintain and operate our aging heating equipment. Anyone with construction or building experience is needed to meet every once in a while with our operations crew to help assess needed repairs, costs, and how to best fix problems with the building. These are all immediate needs, so if you or some one you know could help us, please call Kris Pluskota at the center (414-345-8800) as soon as possible.
Some good news for the new year is the announcement of our three new board members! I look forward to working with Dave Berger, Sandy Callaghan, and Frank O'Dwyer. These energetic newcomers join our returning members Anne Bartelt, Mark Connelly, Dan Madigan, Bob McWilliam, Lyle Maryniak, Mike Mullen, Bill Sullivan, Linda Somrak, Dick Tierney, and Liz Tylenda. I would like to thank Bill Crowley, Jim Quinn, and John Schaefgan who will not be returning this year. The Board of Directors can't thank these three men enough! They have provided many years of valuable service to the ICHC and will be truly missed.
Again I wish you all a happy 2009! I hope one of your resolutions for this year is to have more fun. Let us help you. Attend our ceilis, concerts, movies (the next one is Jan. 9th at 8:00 P.M.), and special events like Blarney Bingo. We'll be sure to put a smile on your face!
A prosperous New Year to everyone!
Karen Prendergast
President, Board of Directors
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center
