The Center fundraiser ‘a success’

Last weekend's fundraiser for the Family Resource Center was a success, according to The Center's executive director.
Monica Murnan said on Thursday that the fundraiser, sponsored by DEPCO LLC, raised approximately $12,000 for The Center. Murnan said she hoped to raise at least $10,000.
"We are very pleased with the total we raised," she said. "We certainly consider it a success."
The fundraiser took place inside the former Envision building at 1600 Walnut St. — the building that Murnan hopes to make The Center's new home. DEPCO and Constructive Play Things, of Kansas City, donated children's toys to be sold at the event. All proceeds went toward The Center's effort to raise enough money to move out of the former Lincoln Elementary School building.
Earlier this year, Murnan announced that The Center would cease to exist if it could not relocate out of its current site. The poor condition of the building and the cost to maintain it has made it nearly impossible to continue to operate without moving, she said.
On Monday, Chili's Grill and Bar in Pittsburg raised $400 for The Center during what it called Family Resource Center Day. From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on that day, each time a customer presented a FRC Day coupon, the restaurant donated 10 percent of that sale to The Center.
In The Center's effort to raise the $2.25 million needed to move into its new site, Murnan said all efforts to help raise money are much appreciated.
"We cannot express enough our appreciation to all the staff at DEPCO and all the staff at Chili's for everything they did for us," she said.
Murnan said last weekend's fundraiser marked the first one The Center had ever conducted to raise money for itself.
At the time Murnan announced The Center was trying to raise money to move into a new building, she was not completely confident the goal would be reached. However, thanks to recent donations, including two possible donations of which details have not been disclosed, has made her feel better about The Center's future.
"We're still cooking," she said on Thursday. "We have a couple of things brewing."
Every day, more than 400 local children are cared for and educated at the FRC. Child care experts have said that if The Center was forced to close, the local area does not have enough open slots to take in all of the children from the FRC.