A lady who is 100 years old wants to celebrate a significant milestone in her life by raising $100,000 for charity.
According to The Atascadero News, Rosemary Dexter, who lives in Atascadero, California, celebrated her 100th birthday on Tuesday, January 7.
Rosemary took advantage of the occasion, which she knew was “a very special day,” to collect money for a food pantry called Atascadero Loaves and Fishes (ALF), according to NBC station KSBY.
Rosemary and her family started a GoFundMe campaign to ask for contributions for the food pantry just before her special day.
The organizers of the GoFundMe campaign said that her objective is to offer “a larger, more efficient space for serving our neighbors” and “ensure that the growing needs of our community can be met with dignity and care.”
Rosemary matched ALF’s first $30,000 fundraising. By the time her birthday arrived, $67,000 of the $100,000 had been donated, and contributions are still being welcomed.
Organizers stated on GoFundMe, “Help us reach our goal by joining us in honoring her legacy of compassion and community service and celebrating her 100th birthday.” “By working together, we can create a better future for everyone.”
Rosemary was a volunteer and supporter of ALF for many years. Her late husband, Rollin Dexter, co-founded the organization in 1984.
It was not until the COVID-19 epidemic began that she ceased assisting at the food pantry, and that was when she was in her 90s.
Dexter told KSBY, “We came here to start the Methodist Church, and he and three other pastors realized that they needed to create a place for people to go get food.”
However, Rosemary still has a particular place in her heart for ALF. Additionally, for the last several months, community people have come out to support her and the charity that she is passionate about.
Linda Albright, who is the Secretary and Treasurer of ALF, said, “Week after week for the last few months, there have been many more donations, many of them in special envelopes that say ‘Rosemary.'”
If you would like to make a donation to ALF, you may do so by visiting the GoFundMe page or by mailing a check to ALF at 5411 El Camino Real, Atascadero, California, 93422.
According to the organizers, any checks that are made out to ALF should include “Rosemary’s 100” in the memo line.