What started with a point-and-click photo on the Buckhannon River has grown into an 11-year tradition: the Band of Brothers’ “Help Us Help Kids” calendar fundraiser is nearly sold out of its first printing and closing in on its $40,000 target.
Band of Brothers member Al Tucker attended the Nov. 4 Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur meeting to talk about the progress of their calendar sale fundraiser.
“This year, we put our goal at $40,000; we’re still going to try to reach all the target areas we identified last year and supported,” Tucker said. “We’re hoping we can get to $50,000, but we’d be okay with $40,000. Our focus is at-risk kids and needy families, not only here in Upshur County, but we work with the underprivileged children foundation in Charleston — it reaches 26 counties — and we help in the surrounding counties as well.”
The Band of Brothers printed 1,000 calendars in their first printing.
“They sold very well this year, and we’ll probably have to do what we did last year and do another printing,” Tucker said. “We’re at $28,000, but we made $5,000 with a chicken dinner fundraiser on Saturday, so we’re at $33,000 total, and with all the projected sales of calendars, we will get to that $40,000 goal.”
Tucker also reflected on the first time he was inspired to pick up a camera and take pictures of West Virginia’s natural beauty.
“I probably wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for Marty Kelley, because several years ago I walked into the camera club exhibit during the Strawberry Festival. I thought it was neat and got interested in photography,” Tucker said. “Later, I was fishing in the Buckhannon River, and I caught this really nice trout in the fall. I laid it down, and when I looked up, it was just beautiful, all these colored leaves and wet rocks, and the light was good, although I didn’t think in terms of lighting back then. I had a little point-and-click camera; I took a picture of it, and it turned out it was really neat.”
Tucker submitted the photo in the camera club’s next Strawberry Festival exhibit and won the People’s Choice award.
“I was hooked., I’ve been taking photos ever since and making these calendars,” he said. “This is the 11th year of ‘Help Us Help Kids,’ and we are grateful to you all as an organization and to so many members who have supported us over the years.”
Calendars can be purchased by calling any member of the group, and checks must be made out to the Band of Brothers.
- Kevin Hawkins – 304-613-8566
- Bill Nicholson – 304-439-4170
- Tim Rock – 304-642-2555
- John Simons – 681-264-0035
- Al Tucker – 304-704-4292
- Dr. Larry Williams – 304-997-9161
- Pat Brake – 304-677-0214
