St. Joseph gets gnomed with Gnomes for Noyes fundraiser
Jul. 25—Some St. Joseph residents may be welcoming a magical guest to their front lawn as the Gnomes for Noyes Home fundraiser kicks off.
Gnomes Gnigel and Gayron are making their way through town and no one knows where they will end up next. But these gnomes aren't just cute; they're beneficial. Every time a gnome is placed in a new lawn, that's money donated to the Noyes Home for Children.
"It's always a good reminder for those that aren't aware of how Noyes Home is funded, is that we are privately funded," Noyes Home Executive Director Chelsea Howlett said. "So it's the donations, where it be Gnomes for Noyes Home for the kids' activities or just general operation gifts that people make. That's how we keep our doors open for the kids in our community that are in need."
The Noyes Home switched to gnomes this year after their previous fundraiser mascot, Flocking Flamingos, started to wear down.
"We were thinking 'What could we do this year?'" Howlett said. "We happened to find a three foot gnome ... we had a donor who said, 'I'll buy you a gnome so that you can have two to be able to keep that fundraiser moving throughout the town.'"
Participants donate $25 to gnome the front lawn of a friend, family member or business. The owner then donates $25 to remove the gnome and an additional $25 to gnome someone else. If anyone would rather be gnome-free, they can donate $100 to the Noyes Home to prevent any gnoming through Dec. 31.
All gnoming proceeds will fund summer activities for the Noyes Home kids, including their annual camping trip and possibly a group trip to Worlds of Fun, which is no easy task with 30 children. But the staff at Noyes Home said the most invaluable parts of the adventure are the skills the kids will learn.
"I love that the kids get to learn more about basic business practice," Howlett said. "They have the expenses associated with purchasing the gnomes and then all of the additional supplies so that does have to be repaid before they can do anything with the profits."
To participate in Gnomes for Noyes, visit the group's website at https://noyeshome.org/.