A non-profit organization that raises money to provide gas cards to area families will hold their first major fundraiser since the organization got its start three years ago.
Brea and Bill Cinnamon started “Fueling a Future” in 2020 after realizing how much travel is needed when a family has a child who requires pediatric medical care. Their daughter needed medical care in Chicago and Peoria, and several days a week, the couple traveled back and forth. The cost of fuel quickly added up.
“We realized that we weren’t alone,” said Brea. “We had a lot of support but we felt a calling to help other people. We wanted to do something local for our rural families.”
The couple set up a non-profit 501(c)(3), Fueling the Future, that assists other area families with the cost of gas going back and forth to out-of-town appointments.
The financial support for such an endeavor was immediate and overwhelming, she said.
“Early on, we hit the ground running. Since we started, we have sent out over $17,000 worth of gas cards to local families,” she said.
Donations have been good, but sporadic and they are hoping that the fundraiser will provide them with the opportunity to help even more families.
The “Fueling the Future Dinner, Music & Silent Auction Fundraiser” will be held Friday, June 9 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person and include dinner, a drink ticket, live music entertainment by Bell & Field, and the opportunity to win auction items.
On the menu will be herb-roasted pork loin, roast beef, fried chicken, twice baked potatoes, green bean almondine and cherry cheesecake.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Payment for the tickets can be made by Venmo @fueling_a_future; PayPay @fuelingafuture or a check can be sent to Fueling a Future, 404 E. Prospect St., Kewanee. More information can be found about the fundraiser by visiting the organization’s Facebook page.
Brea said there are so many people responsible for helping to bring this fundraiser to fruition.
“We’ve had a lot of help to bring this together,” she said.
