POt of Gold Fundraiser

We are in the midst of our 2023 Municipal Elections. March 10 is the start of Early Voting. Elections can be successful only when we have good candidates, lots of volunteers and you guessed it, money. These fundraisers we host are a crucial part of getting more Democrats, locally, state-wide, and nationally, elected. The Stephenson County Democrats have concentrated much of our efforts over the past three years toward getting Democrats elected locally. We've had some success, especially inside the Freeport city limits.

We now have a chance to change the makeup of our current Freeport City  Council and have some true diversity on it. The odd-numbered wards are up for election. That means Wards One, Three, Five, and Seven and also Alderman at Large. We have guaranteed seats in Three and Five. Rachel Simmons won her Primary in the 3rd Ward and the Party was able to take Art Ross off the ballot by challenging his petition packet. We also challenged the candidate running in the 5th Ward, ensuring that our candidate, Cecelia Stacy, will be the next Alderwoman in the 5th Ward. You can meet both Rachel and Cecelia at our fundraising event. They are going to be very good representatives for their wards and we are very thankful to both of them for stepping forward to run.

We still have more work to do. Our candidate in the 7th Ward, Larry Sanders, and most importantly our candidate, Joy Sellers, running for Alderwoman at Large, need our help. In addition, there are nonpartisan candidates running for the School Board, Park Board, and Highland Community College Trustee positions. While these are nonpartisan positions, we still want people elected that value the same things we value. We are ready to help you meet these candidates.

So, you can see how much work has been done to get this far and how much work we still need to do. We are now entering the stage that's most expensive which involves mailers, yard signs, and door knocking. If you have the inclination to volunteer to help, great, we need you. The candidates need you.

If you don't seem to have the time to volunteer or you want to give money and your time, great. Your donations are also extremely necessary, helpful, and valuable. 

Last year, we hosted our fundraiser on Earth Day in April. This year, it's going to be on St Patrick's Day, Friday, March 17 from 5 - 7 pm. We will once again be at the Freeport Art Museum, which is a really wonderful venue.

Newly elected, US REPRESENTATIVE ERIC SORENSEN  will be our special guest, and we couldn't be more excited. If your only reason to come is to meet him, you can't go wrong. But that's not all, we've also invited former Illinois State Representative Richard "Dick" Mulcahey. He served our community from 1979 - 1993. Here's a link to refresh your memory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Mulcahey 

We are looking forward to thanking him for his service.

There are 12 candidates we are supporting and many of them will be in attendance. We will have them decked out in sashes so you can't miss them. There will be plenty of time to have one on one conversations with many of them.

Our Silent Auction will continue this year,  and the committee really stepped up. There are some very unique items like 3 days in a cabin that sleeps 7 at Apple Canyon Lake or a guided canoe trip down the Pecatonica or a certificate for a one-night stay for two at the exclusive Madison Concourse and Governor's Club, right across from the Wisconsin State Capitol. (Yes. The winner gets a couple of coffee cups and a Yeti Rambler mug from the same hotel!) Fun, right? There's more and the best way to learn about them is to follow our Facebook Event Discussion thread here: https://www.facebook.com/events/532113232242161/?active_tab=discussion

There's more: Beer donated from the Lena Brewery https://www.lenabrewing.com/ , wine, and some special non-alcoholic drinks also. There will be music, food, and lots of fun with our St Patrick’s Day theme. Use the link above to purchase your tickets ahead of time or call our office at 815-801-5760 and someone will bring your tickets to you ahead of time. Pre-purchasing tickets ensures the most time at the fundraiser. We will have tickets at the door and more people helping at that entry point also.

We are transitioning to hybrid meetings, being in person at our office and using zoom along with them. We typically host meetings on the second Tuesday of each month starting at 6:30 pm.  We hold some meetings on Saturdays also or twice a month when we are really busy. 

In addition to our Central Committee meetings, we have several other committees that meet during the month. If you have an interest and desire to help us or attend a meeting, please email us at stephensoncountydemcrats@gmail.com or call 815-801-5760.