Gala to Raise Funds for Volunteers Helping Rebuild in Appalachia

WESTBOROUGH, MA — The Friends of the Westborough Appalachia Service Project (ASP) want to help send a group of volunteers from Westborough to rebuild homes and experience living in the Appalachian communities this summer.

To get there, ASP is hosting a semi-formal annual ASP Gala on March 19, at 7 p.m., at the Doubletree Hotel in Westborough.

All of the evening’s proceeds will help fund trip expenses for local high school students and adult leaders. As a group they will travel by vans from the Westborough area to the rural West Virginia area to rebuild homes and experience living in local Appalachian communities. The ASP trip is organized by First United Methodist Church and St. Luke the Evangelist Church, and is in its 27th year.

“Last year’s inaugural Gala event was an overwhelming success with a packed house full of friends, neighbors and supporters enjoying an adult evening of dancing and entertainment,” said Lisa Nichols, one of ASP’s Gala coordinators, in a statement. “We raised over $15,000 that went directly toward our collective efforts to make this service trip a success on many levels.” This year’s organizers are optimistic about raising even more funds than last year and have even relocated the event to a larger venue to accommodate this year’s anticipated crowd of ASP supporters.

Along with the event’s silent auction and raffle, there will be two bands featured. The Point ‘n’ Swing Big Band will again be bringing their energetic dance music to the Gala. Following their big band music will be music from The NAYS, who play a broad range of rock music from the ‘50s and ‘60s, specializing in music by the Beatles. It’s an entertaining evening that will be one of Westborough ASP’s largest fundraisers for 2016.

The group started in 1990 with five students and four adults, Last summer, the Westborough ASP sent 101 youths and 42 adults to the hills of Appalachia, VA.

Jonathan Owen, ASP Coordinator, added, in the announcement, “Substandard housing is a problem in many parts of this country, especially so in Central Appalachia. Faced with such a large problem, the Appalachia Service Project encourages us to focus not on what we can’t solve, but on what we can, using our own time and our own hands on a home for someone in need.”

Tickets are $50 each for guests aged 21 or older. There will be complimentary hors d’ oeuvres and desserts, as well as a cash bar. You can purchase tickets online or in person at First United Methodist Church or St. Luke’s Church.