(L-R) Rotaract Secretary Iona Henderson, President Anne Myers and Club Service Director Amanda Knowles

Nassau, Bahamas – How often does a group of young professionals under the age of 30 help plan and execute a second successful fundraising event that has raised nearly $100,000 for charity over two years? Not often, but that’s precisely what the Rotaract Club of East Nassau, along with their sponsoring Rotary Club (East Nassau), has done.

The event, “Masqued”, was a masquerade ball-themed fundraiser that featured a large silent auction with a range of items to be bid on, an enthusiastic live auction lead by a professional auctioneer from Seattle and live entertainment. Held at Luciano’s Restaurant on East Bay St., the event also featured Louisiana-themed food and drinks, including catfish, alligator and the popular “hurricane” drink. Masqued followed on the heels of last year’s similarly successful Bond-themed “Shaken Not Stirred” joint fundraiser.

Rotaracters at the Masqued Event

“We are all so happy that this event was once again a tremendous success”, said Anne Myers, President of the Rotaract Club. “We had a great turnout, everybody had a lot of fun, and we’re especially delighted to have raised so many funds in such a harsh economic climate.” All money raised is split equally between the Rotaract and Rotary Clubs of East Nassau. As member dues fund the administrative expenses of Rotary and Rotaract Clubs, all money raised in these fundraisers is designated specifically for community service projects, both in The Bahamas and abroad.

“Having access to these kinds of funds enables our club to plan and execute community service projects that have a tangible impact”, said Jaime Lewis, Community Service Director for Rotaract East Nassau and Masqued Event Chair. “Thanks to last year’s event we’ve been able to organize many wonderful community service initiatives to directly help our Bahamian community, as well as assist where we can with the tragedies in Haiti, St. Lucia and Japan. We look forward to doing the same again.”

The Rotaract Club of East Nassau, sponsored by the Rotary Club of East Nassau and a member of Rotary International, is a community service organization for young professionals ranging in age from 18-30. The Club was the 2010 recipient of the District 7020 Rotaract Club of the Year Award. More information can be found at their website, www.rotaracteastnassau.org or at www.rotaract.org.