FRIDLEY, Minn. (Sept. 27, 2013) — When the Lee Carlson Center for Mental Healthand Well-Being held its first ever Roof Raiser fundraiser six years ago, one person spent a weekend on a roof in an attempt to raise dollars and awareness for community mental health programs. The Roof Raiser has since grown to include several fundraising teams from communities all across Anoka County. “Each community comes together…to each raise $5,000 dollars” says Patty Halvorson of the Lee Carlson Center. Halvorson says there are currently seven teams registered for the event, whose fundraising deadline is Oct. 31.
The money raised by the annual Roof Raiser allows the Lee Carlson Center to continue to provide mental health programs to families, individuals, and students. “Like every other non-profit, we are struggling and trying to raise money, and the grants and dollars that used to be available are not as plentiful” states Halvorson. The funds raised will be used to offset the costs of services provided to uninsured or under-insured families, as will also be used to fund free support group services offered to at-risk youth at Fridley High School, Columbia Heights, and Centennial.
The work that the Lee Carlson Center does with children motivated one local politician to join the Roof Raiser efforts last year and she is back again this year. Commissioner Julie Braastad explained, “When I saw…what a big percentage of the patients they see are under 18, it just really touched me.” Her team raised approximately $3,800 last year and hopes to raise even more this year.
