Sponsorship opportunities

The Community Shelter of Union County conducts five major fundraising efforts each year, many of them well-established among area residents for at least 10 years.

Our fundraisers support operations, so the success of these events can make a real difference in the amount and quality of services we provide to end homelessness and hunger locally.

Built into these gatherings are a variety of sponsorships, giving businesses, schools, social groups, foundations and families an easy way to be sure its donated resources stay local and quickly target a need. For information about any of the opportunities listed below, contact Melissa McKeown or Jeff Rogers.

Note: Any sponsorships below marked with an asterisk are booked for fiscal year 2022-23.

Event list

Click links below to jump to details for that event

Souper Bowl of Caring (Jan. 19 to March 15)

The Souper Bowl is in conjunction with the national campaign, which started in a South Carolina church youth group. In our campaign for the Community Shelter, we enlist the amazing support of Union County Public Schools and the county’s churches to raise money in whatever way they see fit.

The Shelter uses an online platform to make donations easy to collect, manage and report for each school and church. The top school is honored with a poster in the Shelter’s dining hall.

We also conduct two events to further engage the community:

–Souper Bowl, an annual contest among local restaurants, who provide their best soup. Attendees sample the soups and vote with dollars for their favorites. The top three soups are honored awards they retain for a year, and with social media posts heralding the win.

–Brewers Challenge pits local craft breweries, who put up their best beers for a community test and vote, much like the Souper Bowl. The winner receives an award and social media post announcing the victory.

Sponsorship opportunities:

Chuck Norwood Memorial Golf Tournament (April 26, 2023)

Our annual golf tournament honors one of our most cherished volunteers. Chuck Norwood spent countless hours working in our soup kitchen and staying overnight as a volunteer Shelter coordinator.

In 2022, we moved the tournament to Stonebridge Golf Club to accommodate morning and afternoon times. We adopted a tee-time format during the Covid era, which we found speeds play. We also announce winners in a livestream posted on our Facebook page, which also lets players finish and get home in a reasonable hour.

Another change was introducing a First Responder Flight. Teams from local police, sheriff, fire, and paramedic departments compete for a separate title, and businesses can sponsor those teams’ entry to give those who protect us a well-earned respite while helping the Shelter.

Sponsorship opportunities:

Community Shelter Super Stars (June to mid-July, 2023)

This event harnesses the power of networking to make a real difference. Super Stars has been led for its first two years by Sheriff Eddie Cathey as the honorary chair, then two to three who fulfill the Chair role and recruit Super Star Leaders. Super Star Leaders recruit three Super Stars, who each raise or donate $1,000 toward the Shelter during the campaign.

Super Stars can raise funds however they like. As with the Souper Bowl, the Community Shelter offers an online platform that makes it easy to ask, collect and report on donations as they occur.

We wrap up the campaign with a party in July to recognize those who put in the effort on our behalf. All Super Stars are recognized with their photo or company logo in local print media and our social media platforms.

Sponsorship opportunities:

Boots & Bow Ties (Sept. 17, 2022)

Our annual dinner party is our largest event of the year and a feature on the Union County social calendar.

The gala, held at Rolling Hills Country Club in Monroe, features a large silent and live auction, great food and entertainment that ranges from a band to casino-style gaming to whatever this year’s surprise happens to be. Part of the fun is seeing the guests “gussied up” in their fun Western wear.

Sponsorship opportunities:

Pass the Plate (1st and 2nd weeks in December)

The Community Shelter kicks the holiday season into a higher gear with its annual pledge event, Pass the Plate, held in Monroe the first week of December and Waxhaw the following week.

This event is driven by the Shelter’s board of directors, who personally invite those driven to help make Union County a great place to live. At our breakfast event, we run a tight scheduled presentation to ensure we are wrapped up by 8:50 a.m.

Sponsorship opportunities:

© 2022 Union County Community Shelter | 160 Meadow Street, Monroe, NC 28110 | (704) 289-5300