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Roanoke Non-profit Partners with Leading Fireworks Company to Give Back
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Roanoke Non-profit Partners with Leading Fireworks Company to Give Back
– Fundraising relationship supports organization's mission while ensuring Roanoke County 's Independence Day celebrations sparkle and glow –
Roanoke, Va. (March 25, 2009) – In a harsh economic climate, one local church plans on creatively addressing its fundraising needs this year on Independence Day by joining forces with a leading fireworks manufacturer to sell sparklers and fountains. Roanoke Valley Sanctuary of Praise, now in its third year of a fundraising with TNT Fireworks ®, will join over 5,000 organizations nationwide – many in Virginia – who share tent-sales profits with TNT in an effort to support each charity's mission, while ensuring local residents have no shortage of sparklers and fountains to colorfully ignite their patriotic celebrations.
Roanoke Valley Sanctuary of Praise relies on every dollar raised by its annual sparkler and fountain sales campaign to keep its various outreach programs afloat. The organization conducts charitable efforts that include fatherhood counseling, running a Christian school, training its youth to be community leaders and the church hopes to rebroadcast a Sunday morning radio show the used to air on 3WR 910am. The sparkler and fountain raised funds also help to cover the costs of taking the organization's mission to a global audience.
"We've been in a building project for the last three years … our goal is to use these funds to pay down our building loan with the funds we raise with TNT every year," says Howard Finnicum, Pastor of Roanoke Valley Sanctuary of Praise, which plans to operate a TNT tent in the parking lot of Roanoke's Wal-Mart Supercenter. "We're also planning on adding a second location during this year's tent campaign to completely fund at least one pastor's foreign missions this year."
TNT has helped meet the needs of cash-strapped groups for several years by deploying a model whereby the nation's largest distributor of consumer sparklers shares tent-sales profits with groups who employ and operate TNT stands and tents across the country, raising over 20 million dollars annually. The fundraising relationship TNT develops with its partner organizations benefits each party involved in different ways, but the end result is shared – by selling consumer sparklers, our country's non-profit organizations, such as Roanoke Valley Sanctuary of Praise, can continue meeting the critical needs of their audiences.
"From building projects to international humanitarian relief efforts and after-school youth programs, our fundraising partners make enormous contributions to the communities they are a part of," says Tommy Glasgow, president of TNT Fireworks East. "By partnering with our company in Virginia , these groups have access to the resources needed to make profound differences in the lives of the citizens of their respective communities, while helping create sparkling memories for years to come."
Not only does TNT generously share its fundraising profits with partner organizations, while imparting valuable lessons to youth who get involved in the fundraising campaigns, the company also conducts much of the preliminary work involved in setting up the tent at each location, lessening the labor-intensive burden on small groups like Mr. Finnicum's.
Indeed, just before the 4 th of July, TNT ensures its partners are well taken care of before the first product is sold each holiday season. A critical part of this process is TNT University – a learning session that educates each school, civic or church organization on everything their members need to know to operate a successful sparklers retail campaign.
While partnering with TNT to sell sparklers contributes significantly to its partners' bottom lines and organizational success, the simple pleasure of helping Americans enjoy our country's longstanding traditions also adds value to the fundraising experience.
"Our relationship with Roanoke Valley Sanctuary of Praise is very instrumental in helping Roanoke County residents enjoy sparklers and fountains on Independence Day, while also giving back to its community at the same time," said Glasgow . "We encourage Virginia charities of all size and scope to join with us to help make this patriotic holiday the most enjoyable – and profitable – yet for the audiences they serve.
For more information or to register an organization to participate in a 2009 TNT fundraiser, visit www.tntfireworks.com, or call (256) 764-6131.
ABOUT TNT FIREWORKS
TNT ® Fireworks (TNT) is the nation's largest distributor of consumer fireworks and novelty items. For more than 50 years, TNT has set the benchmark for safety, customer satisfaction, innovation and quality in the fireworks industry. For more information about TNT Fireworks, visit www.tntfireworks.com.