Photo by Jon Anderson
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The Hoover High School choir sings at the 2021 Ho Ho Hoover fundraiser for the Hoover Helps nonprofit at the Hoover Randle Home & Gardens on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
Hoover Helps this weekend is having its sixth annual Ho Ho Hoover-Randle Weekend at the Hoover-Randle Home and Gardens to raise money to help meet basic needs of children in the Hoover area.
There are events both Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8.
Making Spirits Bright VIP Party
The nonprofit on Saturday, Dec. 7, is holding its Making Spirits Bright VIP Party from 7 to 11 p.m. People are invited to come in their best cocktail attire for an evening of food by Happy Catering, drinks, a silent auction and raffles. Tickets are $55
The silent auction includes high-end bourbon and a tour of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. People also can purchase Bling Tree tickets for a chance to win jewelry from Tiffany & Co. or wine pull tickets, also $25 each, for a chance to win a surprise bottle of wine.
Guests also will have a chance to win a bottle of Van Winkle 12 Year Lot B valued at $1,000 with the purchase of a $50 ticket and a chance to win a $1,000 Amazon gift card with the purchase of a $25 ticket. Tickets for the gift card and Van Winkle bottle can be purchased online or at the event until 9 p.m. that evening. The winner does not need to be present.
In addition, there will be a chance to win a $6,000 diamond ring donated by Levy’s Fine Jewelry. The ring will be placed in a locked treasure box, and guests who are present will be given the opportunity to purchase a key to unlock the box. Only one guest will have the key that unlocks the treasure box.
Ho-Ho Hoover-Randle Open House
On Sunday, Dec. 8, from 2 to 5 p.m., there will be a family-friendly open house with a chance to see the newly remodeled Hoover-Randle Home & Gardens and numerous Christmas trees decorated by nonprofits and other groups in Hoover. There also will be live entertainment, photos with Santa, food samples from local restaurants, homemade chocolate treats from Michelle’s Chocolate Lab and hot chocolate made by the Grace Klein nonprofit.
The entertainment will include performances by the Spain Park Dazzlers, Hoover High Buccanettes, Hoover and Spain Park choirs and music students from Deer Valley Elementary.
Groups in the “Deck the Halls” tree decorating competition include Hoover Helps, Hope for Autumn Foundation, Spain Park High School, Hoover Veterans Committee, Hoover High School, American Legion Unit 911, Bluff Park Art Association, Hoover Beautification Board, Hoover Fire Department, Hoover Police Department, Hoover Service Club, Hoover City Schools Foundation, Hoover Historical Society and Leadership Hoover.
Tickets for Sunday’s open house are $15, but children ages 12 and younger are admitted free. The Hoover-Randle Home & Gardens is at 2255 Tyler Road, but parking and free shuttles will be available at nearby Shades Mountain Community Church.
Photo by Jon Anderson
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Linda Butler, at left, and her granddaughter, Allison Butler, check out the Leadership Hoover Christmas tree at the 2021 Ho Ho Hoover fundraiser for the Hoover Helps nonprofit at the Hoover Randle Home & Gardens on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
Hoover Helps will use proceeds from both events to fulfill basic needs of children in Hoover schools. Contrary to popular belief, there are indeed needy children in Hoover, with more than 500 identified in Hoover City Schools, the nonprofit said.
There are 73,000 children in central Alabama who skip meals, do not eat for a whole day or go hungry because there is not enough money to buy food for their household, according to Hoover Helps.
“Children who depend upon free or reduced-priced meals at school may be at risk of hunger on weekends, holidays and over summer when schools are closed,” the organization said in a press release. “Hoover Helps is deeply embedded in the community, partnering with counselors in the school system, city entities and faith-based organizations and leading initiatives such as the Hunger Challenge, Backpack Feeding Program and the Neighborhood Bridges Hoover program in which students’ needs are updated through a website daily, and community members can help fill those needs.
“The generous community of Hoover plays a vital role in supporting us throughout the year to ensure that the basic needs of Hoover children are met,” Hoover Helps Executive Director Donna Bishop said in the news release. “With the holiday season being a time of giving, it’s only fitting to express our gratitude to our contributors with a festive celebration, while also continuing to raise awareness for those who may not yet realize the importance of our work.”
For more information about Hoover Helps and the Ho Ho Hoover-Randle Weekend, visit hooverhelps.org. or find the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @hooverhelps. The official event hashtags are #HoHoHooverRandle and #HooverHelps.
