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Jeff Rich benefit set for Feb. 14
Jeff Rich is a name that is well known in Putnam County for all of the community service work that he does.
Rich has been generous with his time in worthy causes such as auctioning cakes for Boy Scouts in Cloverdale, announcing at "Putting on the Hits" for Tzouanakis Intermediate School in Greencastle, auctioning baked goods for 4-H at the Putnam County Fair, emceeing for "Dancing With the Stars of Putnam County" and calling numbers for the Putnam County Board of Realtors Bingo.
He has spent countless hours serving the community over the course of his life here in Putnam County.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, Putnam County will have the opportunity to give back to Jeff in a big way, with the inaugural Have a Heart Putnam County Benefit/Jeff Rich Heart Ball.
On Dec. 13, Rich suffered a massive heart attack that made it necessary for him to be flown to St. Vincent Hospital via medical helicopter and placed in Cardiac ICU for several days.
While he has made a remarkable recovery, Rich has been unable to work full time for more than a month and his medical bills are enormous.
The benefit will take place at Greencastle Christian Church and will include a craft fair from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and a dance in the evening. Vendors can reserve a spot for the craft fair event for $25. Contact Lita Sandy at 720-9155 to reserve a
vendor spot.
Shoppers will be able to come browse for free and can also partake in snacks and craft making for a fee while they are there.
The second part of the event will be held in the evening from 6-10 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30.
The evening will kick off with a performance from the children at Dance Workshop under the direction of Tara Gardner.
Immediately following that performance, the Jeff Rich Heart Ball will begin. This will be a dance that is family friendly and open to the entire community. Anderson Entertainment will provide music and the event will also have fun things mixed in like dollar dances with local celebrities and a "not so silent" auction.
Silent auction items will be open for bid from 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m., as well as several items auctioned live during the dance.
This event will not come close to covering all of Rich's expenses, but organizers want to help him out and return the love he has always shared with
the community.
Upon being approached about the benefit, Rich initially declined. After several conversations, he finally agreed to let it happen, but with conditions.
His conditions were that this would be family friendly and specifically open to the whole family, that there would not be any alcohol and that this would become an annual event that in the future would help others in the community that have a cardiac emergency.
Rich also wanted to make sure that in the future, heart education and purchasing AEDs (defibrillators) for local businesses will be part of the plan. He was not even out of the hospital when he made these suggestions -- even then he was thinking about others.
Any individual or business that would like to donate certificates for services, baskets or items for the "not so silent" auction, contact Chelle Thomas at 317-459-6334 to arrange pick up. Money may also be donated online at www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/jeff-rich-benefit/281983.
Tickets for the ball should be purchased in advance. They are available for a minimum donation of $5 per ticket and can be purchased at Jeff Rich Auction Service in Cloverdale, Collins Evans Real Estate Office in Greencastle and Dance Workshop in Greencastle.
They can also be purchased by emailing Thomas at Chelle1004@msn.com. In the email, let her know how many tickets you need and she will send a paypal invoice for them with a secure link.
There will be a limited number of tickets available due to space, so early purchase is key. If there is room, tickets will be available at the door, but that availability cannot be
guaranteed.