Lip Sync event raises more than $50,000 for PCYDC

With more than $50,000 raised, the first Putnam County Youth Development fundraiser in nearly three years certainly looks like a success to organizers.

PCYDC Executive Director Anna Kendall was certainly happy with what she saw.

“This was my first time being a part of the event, and it was a great joy to see the way our board came together to create such a fun, yet meaningful, evening,” Kendall said. “We’re all passionate about PCYDC and wanted to make sure that the teams and community really understood the potential that exists for our organization to do more expansive, positive, outcome-based youth programming in our community.

The Putnam County Ag Team claimed the top spot in the Feb. 12 event, performing a routine to “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.” Central Elementary was the highest fundraiser of the nine teams, with $7,273 raised prior to the night of the event.

“This year’s teams really understood the mission, and Allison Creekmore-Long and Patti Harmless were phenomenal at keeping everyone focused on what was important, as well as coaching up the teams throughout the lead-up to the event,” Kendall said. “In the end, we cleared just over $50,000, a huge success and testament to the teams and their hard work in a difficult time.”

Most of all, Kendall, Creekmore-Long and Harmless are happy with what PCYDC can do to continue serving the youth of Putnam county with the funds.

“That money will go a long way toward expanding our CASA and Teen Court programming, as well as allowing us to invest in a new mentoring initiative we’ve begun to explore,” Kendall said.