Signature Fundraiser

Believe 2 Achieve is the signature fundraising event held each year by the Rotary Foundation of Cincinnati and the Rotary Club of Cincinnati.

BELIEVE 2 ACHIEVE 2021 HELD AT BRAIN BREW CUSTOM WHISKEY ON AUGUST 7, 2021, WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!

More than 200 guests dined, laughed and bid on luxury vacations at the 10th annual Believe 2 Achieve summer party and auction to support people with disabilities.

The indoor and outdoor event, on Aug. 7, was presented by The Rotary Club of Cincinnati and its Rotary Foundation at the Brain Brew Distillery in Newtown.

The event raised more than $100,000 for the three beneficiaries: Stepping Stones Camp Allyn in Batavia, The Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati and Visionaries + Voices, which helps artists with disabilities find their voices and their place in the community.

The evening included cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner and auctions ranging from vacations and artwork to gift baskets. Event sponsors created their own custom bourbon blends.

One of highlights was what event co-chair Carl Kappes called “The Bob Herzog and Teddy Kremer show.”  Herzog, from Channel 12 local news, and Kremer, who became a local sensation as the Cincinnati Reds’ most enthusiastic batboy, were co-MCs for the live auction.

Their antics kept the audience laughing and bidding.

Kappes is past president of the Rotary Foundation. His co-chair was current Foundation president Ali Hussain, of Mason.

“A lot of people put a lot of work into putting this together,” said Kappes.

Live auction chair was Jane Birckhead of Morrow. Silent auction co-chairs were Susan Wilkinson of Anderson Township and Don Keller of West Harrison, Ind. Fred Fischer of Ryland Heights, Ky. Chaired sponsorships. Mike LeVally of Finneytown chaired logistics.

Gold sponsors were Flynn & Co., Carl & Marne Kappes, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation/Miriam H. Stern Fund # 2 and the Maxwell C. Weaver Foundation-US Bank Trustee.

Since 2012, the Rotary’s Believe 2 Achieve has raised more than $1 million for disabilities-related programs.

The Rotary Club of Cincinnati was founded in 1910 as a professional service and networking organization with a mission to provide selfless service in the community and the world and to meet needs of children with physical and social needs. For information, contact The Rotary Club of Cincinnati at www.cincinnatirotary.org or call 513-421-1080.