Erica Cale hosts a Gala Ball, 6:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., Saturday, March 13, at Deer Lake Athletic Club in Clarkston.
The St. Patrick’s Day themed Emerald Ball benefits her nonprofit group Helping Hearts Helping Hands for children in Honduras.
“Erica has set a goal to raise $70,000 this year,” said Nancy Cale, her mother. “Money will go directly to helping the orphanage get furnished and ready for babies this spring.”
The orphanage houses 12-16 children. Erica, 17, will live in the orphanage home, along with a house family.
“She will provide a loving, Christian home with food, clothing, water and all the basic living needs for the children,” Nancy said. “They will be provided with a full education and regular medical and dental care.”
Erica has helped others since she was a small child, Nancy said.
“Her thoughts have always been on how she can help others,” she said. “At the age of 6 she planned a birthday party, but asked that her guests bring gifts for children in a shelter, instead of for herself.”
After 9-11, she made red, white, and blue pins and sold them at Depot Park as a fundraiser for the Red Cross. When the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka, she decorated coffee mugs, sold them, and sent the money to a mission group who was setting up shelters and schools for the orphans. At age 14, Erica went on a family vacation to visit friends in Honduras.
“This trip changed her life forever,” Nancy said. “No longer did she dream of going to prom, choosing a college, and living an average teenage life. Her dream had now become all about helping the sick and starving children in Honduras.”
Over the past three years, Erica made 11 trips to Honduras and founded Helping Hearts Helping Hands, based in Clarkston and supported by the Cale family’s home church, Clarkston United Methodist Church.
She completed her high school on-line so she could travel. She has an adult and teen board of volunteers, most of whom are from the Clarkston area.
Erica raised more than $80,000 in three years. She distributes food, drinking water, clothing, shoes, school supplies, hygiene products, and other necessities on all of her trips. She has visited many orphanages and poverty-stricken villages.
“She has had entire villages of children running to greet her vehicle when it arrives where the homeless families build shacks made of scraps,” Nancy said.
Entertainment at the fundraiser includes Katie Scheu, an eighth grader at Clarkston Junior High School and an accomplished pianist, providing dinner music. Bianca Keitel, Clarkston High School senior, will sing Celtic music, accomplanied by her violin. Ben Mackie, freshman at Wayne State University, provides DJ dance music.
For more information, check www.helpingheartshelping hands.org.