The James E. Shepard Sertoma Club

Community Giving

Since our clubs inception in July 1983, the James E. Shepard Sertoma Club has given over $500,000 to international, national, and local causes. That has averaged almost $18,500 per year in sponsorship. Our main annual fundraisers are:

Fruitcake Sales primarily between Thanksgiving and New Years Day
NFL Raffle books sold in the summer to cover the period from September to January based on Monday Night Football scores
Frank G. Burnett Scholarship to NCCU Communications Disorder Dept.

Most of our sponsorship dollars go to purchase hearing aids for Durham citizens in need of help. Our sponsorship committee receives applications throughout the year and does research assessments on each person requesting aid. We also have a separate committee of past educators who make the assessment and decision concerning the Frank G. Burnett annual scholarship. All recommendations are made to the board of directors and then ratified by the general body. We have also given monies to our International Sertoma affiliates in conjunction with major initiatives like disaster relief, as well as, identifying some local charities that are in need of our assistance. Some that we historically give to every year are:

The John Avery Boys & Girls Club
The Merrick-Washington Brail Magazine for the Blind
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
American Red Cross
Adopt-a-Family at Christmas
Hearing Aids from Hatfield-Berrang
Various Church visit per year
Youth Scholarships
Affiliate Grants/Equipment to NCCU
Heritage Programs each February
Sertoma International Safe Ears Program

Special thanks to all who have supported us over the years and please continue to participate in our 3 major fund raisers listed above. To learn more specifics on each fund raiser please refer to our “Current Projects” section and pick the fund raiser of your interest.

If you have any questions concerning anything above or would just like to leave us a message, please click on the “Contact Us” link to the left and we will respond as soon as humanly possible.

Safe Ears campaign at Northgate Mall
Members Bobbie Williams & Herbert Tatum, Jr. man the booth at our Safe Ears
campaign at Northgate Mall in 2005.