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Part of the Fairfield Rotary's mission is to help the community.

At the club's annual auction this year, local Rotary leaders will also aid the Shared Harvest Food Bank.

"We just saw that as an opportunity for a direct response to a community need," said Rotarian and auction co-chairman John Lawson.

Anyone who brings in canned goods for Shared Harvest, the Rotary club will give raffle tickets to win one of the several theme baskets available at the auction on April 18 at Receptions Banquet and Conference Center on Boymel Drive in Fairfield.

Shared Harvest is a partner with the Fairfield Rotary's annual Christmas project, which helps more than 30 families and 100 children.

"We knew there was a big need there," Rotarian and co-chairman Mark Koeninger said.

Tina Osso, executive director of the Shared Harvest Food Bank in Fairfield, said there has been a 29 percent decrease in food donations over the past two years and the 20 percent increase of need. Because of that swing, the importance of food drives are greater now than before, Osso said.

"There's always a need," she said. "We simply cannot fill the gap between our traditional source of food donations and that need of food."

If the donation drive is a success, Koeninger said it is a possibility to continue it in the future.

"I can see it becoming an annual event," Koeninger said. "If we can raise money for our program, and make it more entertaining for the people that attend it and help other organizations that are within the community, then that's a home run."

The auction also will help the Joe Nuxhall Hope Project. Koeninger said the Nuxhall family has donated items of the Ol' Lefthander to be auctioned off and all proceeds will benefit the Hope Project.

Any Rotarian can sell tickets and accept donations for the auction.

For more information, call Lawson at (513) 642-6596 or visit www.Fairfield-Rotary.org.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.

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