Milton FD Auxiliary to celebrate 50 years of the Penny Party
For 50 years, the Milton Fire Department Auxiliary has hosted its annual Penny Party fundraiser, a night of family fun designed to raise money for the fire department.
Mary Ann Warrington, president of the auxiliary, is proud to show off the minutes of the meeting where the Penny Party was created.
“They were handwritten at first. Then they started typing it. In January 1974, it was decided to hold a Penny Party at the fire hall on Jan. 31. Members were urged to collect items for this, and tickets were to be given out as soon as possible. The profit was $140.83. We make over $4,000 now on this fundraiser,” she said.
The Penny Party has kept going, even through the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit in a revised, virtual format. Ironically enough, Warrington said, the two years the event was virtual were some of the biggest the auxiliary ever had in terms of fundraising.
“We were blown away by the amount of money people sent in,” she said.
This year’s Penny Party is set for 5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 17, at the fire hall. Warrington said the event works as such: members of the auxiliary collect donations and get items from around the Cape Region, everything from gift cards for Irish Eyes to stuffed animals. Tables are set up with items and values attached: a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, 50 cents and $1. Those who come purchase envelopes with a specific number. Inside the envelopes are 300 pieces of paper matching the number.
The games start with the penny table, where guests bid on items on the table. Bids are made by putting tickets in the basket and a corresponding dollar amount. For example, if one bids 25 cents on an item, they put 25 cents on the table and put 25 tickets with their number in the basket. Once bidding is complete, numbers are drawn from the basket and winners can come up and pick an item from the table. This continues until all the items from the table are gone. Then the game moves to the next table. The penny tables are first; the $1 tables are last.
Warrington said the event has always been set up as a way for families to have fun together. She said the event is purposefully the Thursday before Good Friday because children are usually off school the next day and can stay up late. Traditionally, the penny tables are stocked with items for kids. For the 50th anniversary party this year, Warrington said, the plan is to have golden eggs on all the tables that will contain a special prize. There will also be a baked goods table. Tickets for the event are purchased at the door.
“It’s a fun, family night out. We’ve had some people who have been coming all these years,” she said.
