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<p>What better a way to get attendees at a fundraising happy hour than to enlist &#8220;celebrity&#8221; bartenders?</p><p>That&#8217;s what the Family Service Association of NEPA did on Thursday night at Rodano&#8217;s in downtown Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>Instead of just a regular fundraiser where people pay a price at the door and get some type of food and drink, the group had fun with it, asking some local professionals to serve up some pints. It made for a whole lot of fun because some patrons opted for much harder concoctions than beer or wine, making it interesting to watch guest bartenders attempt.</p><p>Celebrity bartenders included:<div>&#8226; Will Beekman, of the F.M. Kirby Center</div></p><p>&#8226; Lindsay Griffin, of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce</p><p>&#8226; Joe Borland, of Borland and Borland LLP</p><p>&#8226; Sarah Borland, of Borland and Borland LLP</p><p>&#8226; Patty Hughes, of Wilkes-Barre City</p><p>&#8226; Cassie Fiume, of Diamond City Partnership</p><p>Throughout the night, entertainer Paul Rodella, at many moments joined by friends, sang and played guitar from the front of the restaurant. An entourage of fans and family attended to hear him (his duo PaulSko has been heard playing at downtown establishments like Senunas&#8217; Bar &amp; Grill and Beer Boys from time to time).</p><p>Friends Andrew Potsko and David Davis joined him for songs as the night went on, and I especially noticed some folks dancing in their seats later in the evening.</p><p>Paul&#8217;s great to have at events because his charm, even when helping announce prize winners toward the end of the night, is engaging.</p><p>Kudos, too, to Rodano&#8217;s which, if you didn&#8217;t know, hosts a plethora of fundraisers throughout the year and works effortlessly with these organizations to ensure they raise money. They help in many ways, from donating pizza and sometimes beer to helping with setup and working on how to get the greatest return for the nonprofit at hand.</p><p>The spot on Public Square is one we&#8217;re lucky to have.</p><p>Supporting the Family Service Association is something many are proud to do.</p><p>They offer programs such as family reunification, professional counseling, a helpline, high-risk youth assistance, a parent/child program, batterer&#8217;s intervention, child advocacy and more. The celebrity happy hour is a regular fundraiser for them, and I&#8217;m glad they had a fantastic turnout because this is an organization that truly deserves the support and donations.</p><p>For those who missed Thursday night&#8217;s fun, no worries. There are many more fun events coming up in the Greater Wilkes-Barre area.</p><p>One in particular I&#8217;m encouraging friends and co-workers to sign up for is Bowl for Kids&#8217; Sake on April 13 at Chacko&#8217;s Family Bowling Center. You can register a team or teams of five at www.bbbsnepa.com/bfks2019, and &#8211; as always &#8211; it&#8217;s sure to be a good time.</p><p>Many organizations bring more than one team and spend an hour together bowling for a cause. Some make a whole day of it and plan other team-building exercises before or after.</p><p>Each bowler only has to raise $50 in pledges, which is basically the equivalent of asking a few family members or friends for $5 each, right?</p><p>I&#8217;m sure they could spare it for the kids.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Mike McGinley</p><p>Around Town</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Mike McGinley is the Times Leader Media Group&#8217;s major accounts executive. Reach him at mmcginley@www.timesleader.com or 570-704-3945.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Around town: Celebrity bartenders bring out crowd to FSA fundraiser