Hannah Emberton
PARSONS — During the annual manager’s meeting for store leaders of Pete’s Corp. of Erie, awards were announced for the store with the top fundraisers for regional Court Appointed Special Advocate programs.
This is the 13th year the company has raised funds for CASA. Several CASA representatives were present, including Director of CASA of the 31st Judicial District Aimee Daniels.
“We are so grateful that the Pete’s Corporation has adopted CASA. The whole fundraiser started with our group, the 31st Judicial District, and it’s grown to six other programs in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri,” Daniels said. “It started out benefiting the amount of children that we have, and now it’s benefiting hundreds of children.”
The first year, the company raised $1,700, and now has raised $100,000 for the second year in a row.
“It’s grown and grown and grown, and Pete’s has been so supportive. Their employees are wonderful people who care about children. They really put in a lot of their own time, their own money, their own efforts to do all of the events,” Daniels said. “They don’t just take money over the counter for us, they do events in each store to bring in more money and more publicity. It’s a wonderful, charitable act on the part of the corporation.”
Daniels noted that due to the companies’ growth, local CASA groups have been able to grow alongside them.
“We’re very grateful for the continued support of Pete’s of Erie, and so thankful for their partnership with CASA,” Kansas State Director of CASA Deena Gage said.
Dustin McCrary of Pete’s served as the master of ceremonies for the event, and welcomed attendees and speakers. The first of which was Mark Ogle of CASA of Northeast Oklahoma.
“What we do in a nutshell is: we recruit ordinary citizens who agree to be trained, background checked, sworn in by a judge and then assigned to a child’s case,” Ogle said.
“These are children who have been removed from their home because of abuse and neglect and are living in foster care.”
Ogle said the volunteers meet with these children on an ongoing basis, usually monthly, and monitor the child’s case, circumstances, and progress of the family or other caregivers.
Ogle said they also help facilitate any services the child needs, and prepare reports prior to court hearings.
“The ultimate goal is to provide these children with a permanent, safe, loving home,” Ogle said. “Not that could be through reunification, if at all possible with the family, and if not, then adoption in a forever home. These kids need permanency. They need love. They need safety. They need this assurance, so they know the next day what their future is going to be.”
Ogle said ideally, there would be one CASA volunteer per case. Last year, his region served 160 children in 86 cases, with 56 volunteers.
“The two big challenges that we face is finding the volunteer,” Ogle said. “And finding enough volunteers so every child who needs a CASA volunteer can have one.”
Ogle said the second problem was finding funding to provide those services.
“In our area, we average $500 in costs to recruit and train a volunteer,” Ogle said.
He noted that it costs an additional $2000 to provide a child with a volunteer and services for the entire year.
“And that is where the Pete’s campaign comes in — the great work that you all do,” Ogle said to the Pete’s employees.
Ogle also highlighted how the employees spread awareness of CASA throughout the general public.
Chief Operating Officer Brenda Ellsworth said her parents were foster parents, so the cause was close to her heart.
“I wanted to say how proud I am of all of you because what we can contribute is because of your dedication in the store,” Ellsworth said. “And I’m thankful for our customers who are so extremely generous. Our customers are wonderful.”
Over the 13 years of raising funds for CASA, Ellsworth said the company has raised nearly half a million dollars for the program.
“Even if you don’t have the time to be a CASA, just know that what you’re doing is so important. I am so grateful for you and for our customers, and the generosity that all of you have,” Ellsworth said.
The stores with the top three sales percentages and the top three dollar amounts were recognized during the ceremony.
The awardees for sale percentages are as follows. Third place: El Dorado Springs, Missouri, $2,159; second place: Lamar, Missouri, $4,621; and first place: Altamont, $1,257.
Awardees by total dollar amount are as follows: Third place: Humboldt, Kansas, $5,668; second place: Carthage, Missouri, $8674; and first place: another Carthage store, $11,482.
The second-place district raised $15,136, and the award was presented to West District Manager Sabrae Yeoman, which encompasses Fredonia, Erie, and Chanute.
The first place district raised $45,588, and the award was presented to Cody Jarrett.
Across all stores, $100,000 was raised for CASA, which was split between the districts.
The $884.37 went to Eureka and Severy in Greenwood County; $1,169 to Burlington in Coffey County; $3,284 to Fort Scott in Bourbon County; $37,296 to Jasper County, Missouri; $7,890 to northeast Oklahoma; and $49,474.20 to the 31st Judicial District.
