Fourth annual Celebrate Hope fundraiser set for Saturday

Heart for Africa, a not-for-profit relief aid organization, will host its fourth annual Celebrate Hope fundraiser Saturday at The Venue, 80 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Jimmy Wilferth, the organization's executive director, described the evening as "a celebration of new life, the children, crops and Christ."

The fundraiser will have an informational mission room, presentations, dinner provided by local restaurants, live and silent auctions and dancing, with music by Shades of Soul. Dress is semiformal and there will be a cash bar.

Tickets are $50 and must be purchased in advance by calling at Chrisy Wilferth at 579-8685 or at Shivelbines Music, located at 535 Broadway, and Concepts Styling Salon, 107 West Drive Suite C. Tickets also may be purchased online at www.celebratehopecape.com.

All proceeds from the event benefit Heart for Africa's work on the Project Canaan farm in Swaziland, Africa. There will be opportunities to donate to Heart for Africa's work as well as sponsor a child. Those wishing to donate silent auction items can contact Wilferth. There will also be raffle tickets sold for a service trip with Heart for Africa to Swaziland.

"It will be fun," said Jimmy Wilferth. "Things are falling into place."

This year's theme is "Celebrate New Life" and will focus on the children. Last year's fundraiser focused on building water retention systems and introduced the first two babies to come into Heart for Africa's care at the El Roi Baby Home. This year there will be a follow-up on the children and others will be introduced.

Jimmy Wilferth said the El Roi Baby Home now has 27 children, and they are careful not to take in more children than they can support. He said as the need has increased the organization has received more funding from its donors.

According to Wilferth, more than 500 attended last year's fundraiser, which brought in over $65,000. As of Thursday afternoon, 500 tickets had been sold. About 100 tickets were still available.

Wilferth said this year's fundraiser will support building projects. According to him, there are nine new building campaigns that are almost entirely funded. Among the projects are a toddler home, preschool, medical center, long term housing and a coffee planting project that will begin this year.

"We're pushing what God is doing with the children," Wilferth said. "We've said, 'God, have this evening be about you.'"

Heart for Africa has worked in Swaziland for the last five years. More than 5,000 people have taken service trips to Africa through the organization.

Swaziland has one of the highest percentage of HIV/AIDS in the world. Because of this, the average life span is 29 and there are many orphan-led households.

Celebrate Hope began in 2010 in memory of the late Jared Birk. Birk and his family had returned from a trip to Swaziland in 2009 when he died in a drowning accident. Part of his memorial fund was used to begin the El Roi Baby Home to take care of abandoned children in Swaziland. Heart for Africa is planning five trips to Swaziland in 2013.

"Things have been going smooth," said Wilferth. "God's timing has been great."

For more information, email Wilferth at jimmy@heartforafrica.org or visit www.celebratehopecape.com.

apicar@semissourian.com

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