The Hope Civitan Club for many years has provided a St. Patrick’s Day dance for persons served by Rainbow of Challenges.  The dance — along with a hot dog, chips and dessert meal — has become a tradition for both Civitan and ROC, usually held at the Community Center in Fair Park on March 17.

     The event was not held last year as the COVID-19 pandemic was just beginning to cause many closures and cancellations.  However, this year the Civitan Club decided to “pivot” in order to continue the St. Patrick’s Day festivity.

     With supplies donated by Hope’s Super 1 and Piggly Wiggly food stores, as well as by individual Civitan members, boxes were filled with hot dog fixings, condiments, chips and cookies and delivered to the five ROC residential facilities on March 16 to be used on St. Pat’s Day.

     Each box included enough supplies for all individuals to have two hot dogs with chips and dessert on the side.  Festive green decorations were included in each box.  Music and dancing were left up to the residents and staff.

     The Hope Civitan Club is grateful for the generosity of Piggly Wiggly and Super 1, as well as club members, in a year that has made fund-raising difficult.  Civitan International is a world-wide organization with a special emphasis on service to individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities.  The Hope Civitan Club meets at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.

     April is celebrated as Civitan Awareness Month, and the Hope club will host a drive-through Business After Hours on Tuesday, April 13, 4:30-6:00 p.m. at the Hub in downtown Hope.