Local Altrusa Club Strives to Support Community

Marshfield (OnFocus) – Established in 1983, Altrusa International of Marshfield is a group of individuals “committed to fellowship, education, and service to promote community and international projects.”

Its members have raised money for local organizations such as the Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library, Soup or Socks Pantry, Marshfield Area Cultural Fair, and others. Additionally, they help support international charities like the Wisconsin/Nicaragua Project, Days for Girls, and Feed My Starving Children.

The club also offers a scholarship to non-traditional students in and around the Marshfield area. Most recently, the club awarded their annual scholarship to Stephanie Durrant of Pittsville. Durrant works for the Auburndale School Board District Administrator and Board of Education. She is attending UW-Stevens Point and is studying Organizational Leadership/Business.

The Altrusa Club hosts many fundraisers during the year to support their charitable acts. However, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, some of their fundraising events have been cancelled. Most notably, the club has had to cancel their biggest fundraiser of the year, the Holiday Home Tour.

“Altrusa Club of Marshfield has regrettably cancelled Holiday Home Tour for 2020. The board and membership decided they would not put homeowners, the public, and members at risk due to present public health uncertainties now and continuing into the fall/winter season,” the club said in a written statement.

This year would have been the tenth anniversary of the Altrusa Club’s Holiday Home Tour. The event features four homes located within Marshfield and close by country homes. Around 300 people show up for the event, during which homeowners open their homes for tours over four hours for two days. Half of the proceeds from the event go to the Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library. The other half supports the Altrusa Club’s other service projects.

Although the Holiday Home Tour has been cancelled, the Altrusa Club has come up with other ways to raise money for their projects. For the first time ever, the Altrusa Club is hosting Brat Fry’s at Festival Foods. The Brat Fry’s will be August 8th, 9th, 20th, and 22nd, from 11am to 6pm.

The club says they hope the public will, “support their fundraising activities in this new endeavor so Altrusa can continue to support their many community-wide service projects.” They also are open to taking donations, which can be sent to the club’s president, Laura Drendel.

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