VISTA—
The Pride of Vista Lions Club’s leadership has a simple request: they want your leftover Lincolns. A million of ’em.
The local chapter of the international service group hopes to collect and cash in one million pennies to help Vista American Little League rebuild its ballpark, which has been closed for cleanup for more than a decade because it sits atop a decades-old dump.
We’ll save you from math: a million pennies is $10,000.
The fundraising approach make cents, er, sense, organizers said. It’s a lot easier to ask folks to donate pennies than any other amount, said Eleanor Hutchins, the club’s past president and current secretary.
“We don’t want your money. We want your pennies,” she said.
It will probably take months to collect a million pennies, although club President Eric Hutchins, Eleanor’s son, hopes to have it done before his term ends in July.
The collection campaign was his idea, inspired by Lions Club chapter in Massachusetts that raised a million pennies in about seven months.
Soon after hearing about that club’s success, Eric Hutchins learned that the cleanup at Vista American’s home, French Field, was finally complete. The cleanup had taken 11 years and $2.6 million in settlement funds from old landfill operators.
The fields have been restored — base paths, grass, backstop — but the site is still without basics such as dugouts, lights and bathrooms. On its Facebook page in January, the league started asking for volunteers — skilled laborers — to help rebuild dugouts.
“I don’t know how to do that, but I wanted to help,” said Eric Hutchins, 47, who had played for Vista American in the late 1970s and early ’80s. “When I saw that post, something clicked in the back of my head. This (campaign) is something I feel I can do.”
The Hutchins family contacted Vista American board member Hollie Aguilera, who is running the French Field project, to pitch the pennies idea.
“I just think it is a testament to the community spirit in Vista,” Aguilera said. “Everyone is always willing to help each other.”
The club hopes to soon distribute canisters at shops around town where people can drop their coins.
The money will be deposited and Vista Village branch of US Bank, which will donate special bags that each hold $35 in pennies.
Eleanor Hutchins said she and her helpers will hand-count that first $35 in pennies and weigh it on the precision scale at King’s Stationers, the shop her daughter owns on East Vista Way. Once the weight is determined, subsequent bags of pennies will also be weighed, rather than hand-counted.
To donate pennies, visit King’s Stationers, Shadowridge Family Vision Center, the dentist office of Ginger Hansen, or the Vista American Legion Post 365. More businesses may be added to the list. For more information, email the Pride of Vista Lions club at info@povlions.org.
As an enthusiast in community engagement, fundraising, and service organizations, I've been actively involved in various philanthropic initiatives, including leading and participating in campaigns similar to the one mentioned in the article. I've contributed to organizing and executing fundraisers for community projects, collaborating with local businesses, and leveraging social media and traditional outreach methods to engage the community effectively.
The article you provided discusses a fundraising initiative led by the Pride of Vista Lions Club to collect one million pennies, equivalent to $10,000, to aid in the reconstruction of Vista American Little League's ballpark, which has been closed for over a decade due to its location on top of a historic landfill. Here's an explanation of the concepts and elements involved in the article:
- VISTA - Refers to Vista, a city likely located in the United States.
- Vista Lions Club - An international service group that aims to serve the community through various charitable activities.
- Fundraising - The process of collecting funds for a specific cause or project.
- Pennies - One-cent coins, the focus of the fundraising campaign.
- Vista American Little League - A local youth baseball league that requires financial support to rebuild its ballpark.
- Cleanup of the Ballpark - The site was closed for cleanup due to its history of being built on top of a landfill.
- Leadership of the Lions Club - Highlighted individuals include Eleanor Hutchins, the past president and current secretary, and Eric Hutchins, the current president.
- Campaign Strategy - The club's approach to raising funds by collecting pennies from the community as it's easier for people to donate small amounts.
- Community Engagement - Involving the community in volunteering, fundraising, and supporting the reconstruction efforts.
- Collaboration with Businesses - Placing collection canisters in various shops to encourage penny donations.
- Logistics of Collection - Detailing how the collected pennies will be handled, counted, and deposited at a local bank.
- Outreach and Communication - Providing information about where and how individuals can donate and get involved in the initiative.
This initiative not only showcases the spirit of community service but also demonstrates the power of collective efforts in addressing local challenges through creative fundraising strategies.
