Huckabee to address full house at Care Net annual fundraising banquet

February 27, 2019 | 3:07 am

Updated February 26, 2019 | 10:03 pm

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the annual Care Net fundraising dinner Thursday.

Care Net of Owensboro holds an annual fundraising banquet dinner each year as their primary means of generating funds for the many pregnancy and health services they provide throughout the Owensboro and Daviess County area. This year, in an effort to support increased client numbers and to provide the resources necessary to renovate a new building, Care Net Executive Director Lisa Hyland felt the need to request a notable speaker for the event.

“We thought we needed a big name,” Hyland said. “Governor Huckabee has a history of supporting the work pregnancy centers do, so we contracted Gov. Huckabee to come speak with us.”

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is a New York Times bestselling author, a Fox News contributor, the host of “Huckabee” on TBN and a frequently requested keynote speaker for pregnancy centers across the United States.

“We spent a considerable amount of time on who we thought would be perfect to speak,” Hyland said. “When his name came up, we made contact with the agency he works with and it worked out.”

This year’s annual dinner banquet that will take place at the Owensboro Convention Center Thursday, Feb. 28 is unprecedented, according to Hyland.

“This has never happened before — we have a full house with 600 guests,” Hyland said, adding that Huckabee’s notoriety may have been instrumental in the large attendance numbers.

With over 1,300 visits to the center last year, Hyland said Care Net found themselves in the position of needing a building to accommodate the significant amount of growth they had experienced.

“Due to a lot of growth in the number of clients we see, three donors have stepped up to buy a new building,” Hyland said. “We own it debt free, but it will take a considerable expense to get it where it is suitable.”

Hyland hopes that Huckabee’s presence at the banquet not only increases the amount of donations the center receives this year, but also the visibility for the work Care Net does in the community helping women.

“We feel like there are a lot of women in Owensboro and Daviess County that don’t know about Care Net,” Hyland said. “We not only offer services — we offer compassion, hope and help to anyone who finds themselves with an unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease (STD).”

The center also provides free and confidential pregnancy testing, prenatal ultrasound, STD testing and treatment and offers material assistance and education to those in need, in and beyond Daviess County.

“We see a number of people from southern Indiana and as far away as Lexington,” Hyland said. “They’ll drive from out of town to come see us and we’re thankful.”

The banquet itself is free to attend due to the generous donations of several underwriters.

“So our guests attend at no cost and it is our prayer that those people who attend will just give every generously on that night,” Hyland said.

February 27, 2019 | 3:07 am

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