Rotaract Club of Birmingham to hold annual fundraiser April 1

The motto of the Rotaract Club of Birmingham is, “Learn, socialize, serve.” And after another year of learning and serving, the organization of young professionals is ready to socialize at its annual Foundation Ball fundraiser. The black-tie gala will take place this Saturday, April 1, beginning at 8 p.m. at the Haven event space, on Sixth Avenue South in Lakeview.

The Rotaract Club of Birmingham was charted by the downtown Rotary Club in 2004. It is among nearly 9,000 Rotaract clubs worldwide and is one of the largest community-based Rotaracts (many of the clubs are affiliated with a college). These clubs are similar to the parent Rotary International organization in terms of bringing business professionals together with a focus on community service. The difference is, Rotaract is aimed specifically at young professionals under the age of 36.

The Foundation Ball raises money to support the club’s community projects and service initiatives. The three main initiatives involve maintaining Ready 2 Read classroom libraries for second-graders in Birmingham city schools; providing ACT preparation and mentoring for Ready 2 Succeed students at Parker High School; and sponsoring Achieve Alabama, a program in partnership with the Alabama State Department of Education that provides a free online scholarship data base for students.

“Service is big part of what we do, especially towards students and education in Birmingham,” Rotaract Club of Birmingham president Jeris Gaston said. “The motto of Rotary International is, ‘Service above self,’ and we consider that to be a very strong component of what we’re doing here in the Birmingham community.”

While the Rotaract Club is designed for young professionals, the Foundation Ball is open to everybody. Each ticket includes free wine, beer and hor d’oeuvres. There will also be a cash liquor bar and live music.

“It’s a fun event that raises money for a good cause,” Gaston said. “It’s a chance for us to celebrate the hard work we’ve done all year, and to celebrate Birmingham.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit BirminghamRotaract.com.