-Posted on May 17, 2022
On the surface, Romeo’s annual Mayfest looks like a fun, family focused event that welcomes the return of warm weather. But behind the scenes, Mayfest is much more – a fundraising event that helps children and many others.
This Saturday, May 21, Mayfest patrons will enjoy a car show, a kids’ play area, live music, local vendors, food and spirits. Much of the money raised during the event will go back into the community to help needy children. Money raised from entry fees, fees from vendors and food providers, car show tickets and 50-50 raffles will be split between the Romeo Lions Club and DRIVE, a non-profit foundation started by R&E Automated in 2019.
Through the DRIVE foundation, R&E Automated in Romeo has volunteers who deliver school supplies, food, Christmas gifts and other special requests to children in three local elementary schools. Those schools include Roberts Elementary in Shelby Township, part of the Utica Community Schools, Washington Elementary in Washington Township and Hamilton-Parsons Elementary in Leonard, both part of Romeo Community Schools. DRIVE hopes to have a network set up to help families in all Romeo Community Schools within the next two years.
“DRIVE was founded in 2019, by our owner, Dan Jaraczewski,” R&E Automated CFO and DRIVE Treasurer Eva Komini said. “It was always something he wanted to do. And the timing was right. He had a group of people around him who were as passionate as he is.”
R&E, a leader in the automation, engineering and prototype build industries with about 600 employees, has about 50 employees volunteering in Mayfest. Some family and friends of employees also help out.
DRIVE also plays host to other fundraising events throughout the year, including a golf outing on Aug. 8, a walk through historic downtown Romeo in the fall and Christmas Cheer dinner event in December to bring in money for needy families.
DRIVE is also in its second full year of supporting Blessings In A Backpack, a national program helping children suffering from food insecurity. The 14-person DRIVE board members purchase food and backpacks for needy children in each of the same three elementary schools. Komini said volunteers pack the backpacks every Wednesday, and they are delivered to the schools on Thursdays so that the children can take them home on Fridays and have food to eat over the weekend.
Komini said Blessings In A Backpack was a perfect complement to the DRIVE foundation’s goal of helping kids.
“We felt they had the piece that we didn’t have,” Komini said. “They have the ability to vet the families and find out who are the families that we really need to support.”
To find out more about Mayfest, go to discoveringromeo.org/events/romeo-mayfest-2022.To find out more about the DRIVE foundation, go to driveforchildren.org/. And, to find out more about Blessings In A Backpack, go to blessingsinabackpack.org/.
Don Gardner is a communications specialist for the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development.