The Etowah County Democratic Women’s Club will soon host a cake auction and raffle to raise money for the club’s efforts in upcoming campaigns.
The goal for the club is simple, according to chairwoman Harolyn Morris.
“Bringing awareness to voting is important,” she said. “Independents, Republicans and Democrats may not agree on everything, but we can all agree that democracy and voting is important.”
The club uses funds raised throughout the year to purchase billboards, yard signs and advertisements for various campaigns. This time around, the club is advertising for the presidential election campaign for 2024.
When there is not a major election, the club works to bring awareness to local bills and local campaigns. Club members are also working to put together an active youth group to “stimulate younger voters.”
“We need the youth to know that their votes matter,” Morris said. “No matter who they vote for, they should know that their vote is important, and they should be involved.”
Morris is hoping the youth group can work with local schools to bring information on voting to students approaching the age of 18.
The Etowah County Democratic Women’s Club began as a way to help women get involved in politics, according to Morris.
“It was a way to empower women to get involved,” she said. “It was a way to make sure their voices were heard.”
The club will be honoring two women at the cake auction and raffle event – Mary Gomillion, an administrator with the Alabama Department of Public Health, and Sharon Maness, who was appointed as assistant superintendent for Gadsden City Schools in February. Gomillion is being honored for her work during the height of COVID-19 and vaccination roll out.
Maness is being honored for her work in schools.
Beyond goals for 2024 and forming a group for younger voters, the club is working on the annual Unity Picnic in June.
Formerly, the club held monthly meetings, but according to Morris, the meeting schedule is now quarterly. She said the meetings are open to everybody and anyone interested in joining the club can simply come to a meeting a speak with members present.
“We have about 150 active members,” Morris said. “We are hoping to grow that number and become more active.”
The cake auction and raffle will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 30 at Downtown Civic Center. The event is free to enter, but the group is asking for a $10 donation to cover the cost of dinner. Raffle tickets are $10 each or $25 for three tickets. The raffle is for a seven-night stay in Orlando.
For more information about the Etowah County Democratic Women’s Club, visit their Facebook page.