St. Augustine, Fla. (Feb. 8, 2018) – For the second year in a row, Harrison Snowden, now a senior at Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS), is organizing a fundraiser to benefit Betty Griffin Center and the Hubbard House – both Northeast Florida nonprofit agencies that provide services to survivors of domestic and/or sexual abuse.
The event, “Teens Take a Stand,” will be held at 7 p.m., Feb. 17 at Ponte Vedra High School. The benefit concert features a variety of acts – including performers from the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and Ponte Vedra High School, a classical music ensemble, a professional clarinetist, a comedian and a jazz band.
Along with a night of entertainment, there will also be a silent auction that includes a Masters flag signed by 2015 Masters Champion Jordan Spieth, four tickets to a Jaguars home game that attendees can bid on – along with a football signed by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
His initial community event and fundraiser last year raised more than $10,000.
Last year’s event featured about 25 auction items and drew around 300 attendees, but Snowden is aiming for around 500 guests this year – and hopes to double the amount of money raised for the nonprofits.
Tickets will be available at the door or by email at pvhsttas@gmail.com. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for students.
He has a four-person planning committee made up of himself along with Grace Freedman, Carissa Clough, and Charlotte Moore – PVHS juniors whom Snowden hopes will continue the event in 2019 after he graduates from high school later this year. He says more than 30 PVHS students are working on this year’s event.
Snowden got the idea for the fundraising event during his freshman year when a volunteer from the Betty Griffin Center came to speak to Snowden’s class about his experiences working with the nonprofit. Snowden and a friend raised money for the Hubbard House and Betty Griffin Center through a bake sale, and he was later invited to a breakfast event at the Hubbard House. After hearing personal survivor stories about domestic abuse, Snowden wanted to do more to help both nonprofit agencies – and get more males involved.
“The combination of being moved by their stories and recognizing that there aren’t many men involved in this issue made me want to get more involved,” he said. “We’ll have a survivor from the Betty Griffin Center to share her personal story of abuse, which I hope will get even more teens involved.”
Businesses that would like to sponsor or provide auction items for the event, or people who want to learn more, can visit the “2nd Annual Teens Take A Stand” Facebook page.