The Beaufort/Hyde Partnership for Children is looking to partner with businesses that want to aid in the development of local children while getting some unique and creative advertisement.

The BHPC hopes to garner support for its Tablescapes fundraiser, held during the Washington (noon) Rotary Reverse Raffle dinner event on April 8 at the Washington Civic Center. Local businesses are asked to sign up to design an imaginative and innovative table display on one of 14 tables at the event. Not only will the designers compete with one another to receive the top awards, but it also will receive a significant amount of advertisement through participating, according to a BHPC press release. Winners will be selected based on most creative, best centerpiece and most informative.

“Table designers have a unique opportunity to promote their businesses to the 500 event attendees who are typically the ‘movers and shakers’ in the community,” said Lisa Woolard, executive director of Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children, in the release. “This is a great way to stand out in a sea of advertising methods as the attendees will be taking a close look at each table since they will actually be judging the tables. What a great way to have all eyes focused on your business. The more outlandish the design, the better.”

To sponsor a table by decoration, businesses must pay $300, a fee that includes a ticket for two to attend the event. The ticket is valued at $100. Sponsors will also have business names and logos promoted on the BHPC website, social media outlets and print materials at the event, the release said.

“We have several local businesses already signed-up, and we can’t wait to see what artistic tablescapes they come up with for the event, but we need more table designers,” Woolard said.

Through the fundraising effort, BHPC can continue offering programs that work to promote all aspects of development of children. Programs such as BHPC’s Pat-a-Cake Playgroups, one that it has expanded to four new areas in the community and allows parents to work with their kids on skills in reading aloud and social-skill development, as well as Plant the Seed to Read campaign, a program in which the organization distributes books to various boxes in the community, providing a source of reading materials to families are made possible through fundraising efforts like the Tablescapes event. The organization relies on similar fundraising efforts in addition to SmartStart funding and grants, the release said.

According to the release, such programs aid in BHPC’s mission centered around the critical first step toward ensuring economic growth through the education of children, parents and teachers.

For more information about Tablescapes 2016, contact Lisa Woolard at 252-975-4647 at ext. 3. Beaufort-Hyde Partnership for Children is located at 979 Washington Square Mall, under the big kite sign or visit bhckids.org.