Aktion disco brings in bucks

Dancing is a favorite fundraiser among members of the Opportunity House Aktion Club in Sycamore, Illinois. The club has staged dances under just about every theme, from beach party to sock hop to, most recently, a 1970s disco.

“(Dances are) a great fundraiser, because they don’t require a lot of planning, and everyone has a very good time,” says advisor Chanette Smith, who is a member of the club’s co-sponsoring Kiwanis Club of Kishwaukee De Kalb. She says the club is planning its next themed dance, which will be a pajama party.

The Aktion Club sells tickets to its dances, and admission includes refreshments relating to the theme. Club members are responsible for selling the tickets, greeting guests, and making sure everyone has a good time. The disco raised US$726, which the club split between donations to Opportunity House clients’ special needs and Sycamore Child Care center.

“They chose Sycamore Child Care because it is a nonprofit daycare often in need of funding,” Chanette explains, “and because it fits with Kiwanis’ Young Children: Priority One. They wanted to be a part of that.”

Besides the dances, she notes, members also enjoyed hosting a chili supper fundraiser in which the club sold “every bite of chili we had.” And, they are planning for a spaghetti supper. Chanette says Circle K’ers at nearby Northern Illinois University have been especially helpful in staging the Aktion club’s fundraisers and events.

“We are very fortunate to be in this area,” she says. “There are a lot of people who are supportive, understanding, and helpful in what we do.”