Submitted photo The 34th annual Uncle Sam’s Birthday Party fundraiser will be July 5 at the Bear Paw Lodge of Canaan Valley State Park.

CANAAN — For more than three decades, the Tucker Community Foundation has given local residents a charitable and patriotic way to celebrate the Fourth of July.

The Foundation’s 34th annual Uncle Sam’s Birthday Party fundraiser is scheduled for July 5 at the Bear Paw Lodge of Canaan Valley State Park. Doors will open at 5:15 p.m.

Tickets are available now. Only 250 tickets are sold for the annual event that includes an elimination raffle, plated dinner, door prizes and additional raffle prizes. The tickets entitle the purchaser to dinner for two and entry into the elimination drawing, with a chance to win $5,000.

The additional raffle with additional ticket purchase includes the popular Greenbrier Resort weekend package, and the annual Total Tucker package of local gift certificates to skiing, golfing, food venues, and other activities, pieces of artwork, and other locally themed items.

“Tickets are selling fast, purchase your tickets now before they are gone” said Michael Moore, Chief Financial Officer for the Foundation.

The Tucker Community Foundation uses the proceeds from the event to help fund their scholarship and grant programs. These programs issue more than $1,300,000 in grants and more than 45 different scholarships to students in our region.

The Tucker Community Foundation operates in eight counties — Barbour, Grant, Mineral, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, and Tucker counties in West Virginia, and Garrett County, Maryland.

Inspired by the 1985 flood, the Tucker Community Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities for the communities it serves.

Last fall, more than $274,000 was raised for local nonprofits during the 16th annual Run For It event. A total of 1,389 participants took part in the Tucker Community Foundation’s annual event, which raises funds for 77 local community causes.

Every year, the Foundation hosts Uncle Sam’s Birthday Party, an annual elimination dinner in Canaan Valley that serves as the grandest fundraiser for the Foundation.

The event brings together friends, donors, and supporters to provide unrestricted grant and scholarship awards to local organizations and students in the eight-county service region and crucial general operating funds for the Foundation.

Since its inception in 1990, Uncle Sam’s Birthday Party has been instrumental in introducing the Foundation’s important work to a captivated audience, expanding its reach, and creating opportunities for the communities it serves. The 2023 event was a tremendous success, with a sell-out crowd and the generous support of numerous local business partners who provided funding, gifts, and prizes.

The event’s remarkable growth over the years is a testament to the vision and dedication of the Foundation’s founding members, who dared to dream the impossible.

The organization pays tribute to the late Dr. Tom Patrick, one of the founding board members who created this beloved annual celebration. For eleven years, he served as the master of ceremonies, infusing the event with more door prizes, raffles, fun, and better fundraising results. Uncle Sam’s Birthday Party is a significant fundraiser for the Foundation and an enduring tribute to his memory and his groundbreaking vision for the Foundation.

For tickets, please ask any board member or contact the Foundation’s office at 304-478-2930. Additional information can be found, and tickets can be purchased, on the Foundation’s website at www.tuckerfoundation.net.