CLEARFIELD – A mass of community members showed their support of the aging population as well as the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc. at the 17th annual Anne S. Thacik Charity Auction Thursday night at the Clearfield Knights of Columbus.
The event offered live and silent auctions, games, raffles and drawings. Community members were invited to partake in fine wines, chocolate samples and other sweet treats while participating in the auction, which supports the Friends of the Area Agency on Agency, the auxiliary of the CCAAA Inc.
The charity auction is named after Thacik, who saw the need to help the elderly. She was a “dear friend” of the Area Agency on Aging. Thacik was a “strong advocate” for senior citizens, not only in Clearfield County, but also across Pennsylvania.
Thacik was the former director of the Clearfield County RSVP; member of the CCAAA Advisory Council; past president and vice president of the CCAAA Governing Board; and past president of the Northwest Regional Council on Aging. She was also a member of the Department of Aging seven-person task force on rural elderly and a member of the Pennsylvania Council on Aging.
Thacik was instrumental in forming the Auxiliary of the Area Agency on Aging known as Friends of the Area Agency on Aging. As former president, she started the first Wreaths for the Reasons & Seasons Auction, which is the present-day charity auction event named after her. She also served many other local non-profit organizations in various capacities and was a recipient of numerous awards, including the Area Agency on Aging Volunteer of the Decade Award.
Thacik’s daughter, Jennifer Moore thanked everyone for attending and admitted she tries to coin something new to speak about every year. Usually, she is at a loss for words but this year she decided to introduce attendees to her daughter, Anne, who will turn 13 years old this December.
After her mother passed in 1999, Moore said CCAAA Executive Director John Kordish called her and shared that the Wreaths for the Reasons & Seasons Auction name would be changed to honor her mother. When Moore gave birth to her daughter that year, she named her Anne after her “Nanna.”
“I just wanted you to see and meet her for name’s sake,” said a tearful Moore. She said the family really appreciates the auction committee, the sponsors and Rikki Ross, director of planning and marketing at the CCAAA, as well as all of the support from the CCAAA Auxiliary. She encouraged attendees to bid “generously,” as it goes toward a good cause.
During the event, many items were auctioned off, including the opportunity to “Make Your Own Wine” with Starr Hill Vineyard & Winery; a four-person Washington, D.C. tour that included the Capitol Building and Pentagon; an autographed Pittsburgh Steelers football; Pittsburgh Zoo & PPH Aquarium passes; HD LCD televisions; free-handed quilts; an assortment of gift baskets, packages and certificates and more.
Bob E. Day served as the Master of Ceremonies for the charity event. Stephanie Errigo filled in for her father as the auctioneer and frequently solicited bids, saying it was “worth it” and to “go one more” bid higher.
Ross was pleased with not only the turnout so far as attendees, but also with donors and sponsors. She said they received more sponsors this year than any other year. She said all proceeds would benefit the CCAAA Inc. programs and services.
At the present time, she said the CCAAA Inc. has installed fuel conversion kits in seven of its 11 vans so that it can reduce its costs by using Compressed Natural Gas. She said the auxiliary would like to covert one more van; she said the CCAAA Inc. would apply for grant funding to convert the remaining three vans. They’re hopeful all 11 vans will be converted by the end of the year.
Ross said it costs the CCAAA Inc. approximately $11,500 to install a fuel conversion kit in one van, but she said the kit has a 20-year life and can be reused. She said the CCAAA Inc. usually changes vans every four to five years and it could reuse fuel conversion kits later in similar vans at a substantially lower cost.
In addition, she said the CCAAA Inc. saves approximately $500 each month by using CNG versus regular gasoline. She said this figure will continue to rise, as the CCAAA Inc. completes the conversion of the remaining vans in its fleet.
Ross said the charity auction raised more than $14,700 last year. Based on preliminary figures, she expects the CCAAA Inc. to exceed that number this year. However, she said the CCAAA Inc. didn’t have its final numbers as of yet.
The CCAAA Inc. is a charitable, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing a comprehensive array of the highest quality health and human services to residents of Clearfield County.
Programs and services of the agency are funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the CCAAA Inc. Mature Resources Foundation and local and consumer contributions.
The Friends of the CCAAA Inc. was formed in July of 1995 to promote and support the programs and services of the CCAAA Inc. and its charitable foundation, Mature Resources Foundation.
Any person of any age may join the auxiliary. Individuals may join as an “active” member and assist with fundraisers and other activities, or they may join as “social” members and support the auxiliary through their membership dues and donations.
Memberships are $8 per person or $12 per couple. For your membership, you will receive a discount card to be used at local merchants. In addition, you will receive the agency’s bi-monthly newsletter, “Lifespan” and periodic updates on the auxiliary and agency activities through “From Friend-to-Friend” letters.
For more information about the CCAAA Inc. and its programs, please the agency’s Web site at http://ccaaa.net/.
