Oakland County Assistant Prosecuting attorney Greg Townsend often sees children going through the law enforcement system struggling with the loss of a parent.
With that in mind, on June 24, Townsend and the other members of the Clarkston Eagles #3373 are hosting a charity event to benefit the SandCastles Grief Support Program to help people cope.
‘There was a multitude of cases where a child lost one or both parents,? said Townsend. ‘We do a lot of benefits for individuals, but this is a way to help many of the children of Oakland County.?
Past Eagles president Bill Rudaitis was in office last year when the planning for the event began and hopes the community takes notes of what he believes is a worthy cause with a major impact.
‘We wanted to do something specifically for the local kids and it seemed like the right thing to do,? explained Rudaitis.
Townsend co-chaired the event with Joe Duke, a retired sergeant with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.
‘The goals of the Eagles and motto is people helping people. When someone needs help we jump in,? said Townsend, who explained SandCastles fit in well with the multitude of charities the Eagles support.
The festivities kick off with a family fun period from 2 ? 5 p.m. featuring clowns, face painting, a moon walk and Rodney the Magnificent’s Magic Act at 3 p.m.
Dining and entertainment from 5 ? 7 p.m. follow with a chicken dinner available for a $10 donation with a special performance by entertainer, magician and comedian Peter Magic.
‘He’s an outstanding performer and absolutely amazing. People can expect they will be tremendously pleased and impressed,? said Townsend.
An auction and raffles from 7 ? 9 p.m. include such items as a Piston’s suite for 12, an autographed Ford Field inaugural game ball, autographed Chauncey Billups jersey and picture, a 32-inch color TV and other memorabilia and collectibles.
The night concludes with dancing and a cash bar from 9 p.m. ? close.
SandCastles is a grief support program that provides a caring place of children, ages 3 ? 18, and their families who have experienced a death. Support groups are offered twice monthly in the evening at many Metro Detroit areas. The program, which started in 1997, is a division of the Hospices of Henry Ford Health System. For more information on SandCastles, call 313-874-6881 or visit www.aboutsandcastles.org.
The Clarkston Eagles is located at 5640 Maybee Road.