The Brownhelm Historical Association (BHA) will be participating in the Community Foundation of Lorain County’s Connect to a Cause crowdfunding day on Thursday, September 15, 2022 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. online at: www.peoplewhocare.org.
For the past two years, the Community Foundation of Lorain County has hosted a 12-hour crowdfunding campaign that generates hundreds of thousands of dollars for participating nonprofits. In our very first year, 2022, the BHA raised $4,393 from 68 unique donors! On September 15, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., funds will be raised that directly impact the organization. Donors will “shop” a catalog of grants and choose local nonprofits by donating directly to them through the Connect to a Cause website or by mailing in their donations by September 15. Throughout the day, BHA will have the chance to receive additional dollars depending on the amount raised. The more donations there are to BHA, the more the funds will be matched by local sponsors!
So what will BHA use this money for? Well, 25% of everything raised at the event will immediately go into the BHA Endowment Fund, helping to secure the future of the organization. However, the remaining 75% can be used for whatever BHA needs! This year, BHA is delighted to announce that an anonymous donor has offered to pay up to $5,000 for a new HVAC system for the Heritage Museum (German Reformed Church on Claus Road), provided BHA can match donations from members and the public. . The outdated system currently installed provides only heat, is terribly inefficient and is beginning to expel a dark substance that stains the beautiful interior of the church. This church was the very first structure that the BHA was commissioned to restore and preserve; BHA wants to do him justice! In order to protect all the hard work restoring the structure, as well as the artifacts housed within, BHA needs a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient system that not only provides heat, but also air conditioning. BHA hopes that with your help he can match this generous donation and have enough to pay for such a system!
The minimum donation is just $5 and must be made directly on the Connect to a Cause website on September 15 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The Brownhelm Historical Association (aka BHA) was established in March 1993 as an organization dedicated to preserving the rich history of the people, places and events of the area. Over the past 28 years, the BHA has successfully recovered and/or restored the Lost Cemetery on Lake Rd. in Vermilion, the German Reformed Church on Claus Road, and the historic Brownhelm School and Museum on North Ridge Rd. The group regularly organizes community events and historical programs. The BHA meets on the first Wednesday of each month except in January, July and August.
