Benefit set for Saturday at Crab Shack
by Olivia Murray
omurray@dominionpost.com
Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity will host its seventh annual Raise the Roof event this week.
The benefit is set for Saturday at Crab Shack Caribba, in Morgantown’s Suncrest Towne Centre. Doors will open at 5 p.m. Guests must follow COVID-19 guidelines.
The event is free to attend, though registration is encouraged. Those who register for the event will automatically be assigned a bidding number for the event’s silent auction.
The silent auction will be held both in-person and virtually this year. The online auction will be hosted through Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity’s website and feature a text-to-bid option.
The silent auction closes Sunday. Items include local services, handmade artwork, trips to Davis and a week-long timeshare at a resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Crab Shack Caribba will donate a portion of the night’s sales to Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity. Take-out customers can still donate to the organization by mentioning they are ordering to benefit Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity.
Take-out orders at Dockside Grille in Cheat Lake will also benefit Raise the Roof.
Christina Bennett, program manager for Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity, said that organizing Raise the Roof has been particularly fulfilling this year.
“The biggest reward that stems from this event is probably having all these people pitch in, even during COVID-19, to help us raise more roofs and help our neighbors in need of safe, decent and affordable housing by offering a hand up, not a hand out,” Bennett said.
Shawnda Cook, executive director for Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity, said this year’s event holds elevated importance.
“COVID has put us and many other nonprofits in a tight position. We rely on volunteer labor to construct our Habitat homes and due to COVID we are not allowed to utilize volunteers and have had [to] partner with contractors to complete the work,” Cook said.
Cook also said the increased cost of building materials affected the organization’s projects, with the price of roofing materials almost doubling.
Bennett said the organization has been struggling with the temporary closure of its ReStore and the cancellation of its other major fundraisers as well.
“We knew this event needed to have all hands on deck in order to be a great success,” Bennett said.
Those interested in attending Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity’s Raise the Roof event can call Crab Shack Caribba at 304-599-4545 to make a reservation.
Home Savings Bank is the Premier Sponsor of the Raise the Roof event, and White Diamond Realty as the event’s Diamond Sponsor.
For more information on the Raise the Roof event and the organization’s projects, visit the Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity Facebook page.
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