Once Upon a Playhouse campaign back in downtown Rochester

Once Upon a Playhouse returns

The day's local, regional and national news, detailed events and late-breaking stories are presented by the ABC 6 News Team, along with the latest sports, weather updates including the extended forecast.

(ABC 6 News) – If you enjoy playing in a playhouse as a kid, then you’re in luck. The Once Upon a Playhouse fundraiser is back in downtown Rochester.

Rochester Area Builders and Family Service Rochester team up year after year to build a playhouse in order to raise money towards mental health resources.

“The funds that we raise help support programs and services we have available to provide therapy and other support services for the youth in the community. All of our services are available on an ability to pay basis so nobody is ever turned away because they can’t afford to pay,” said Brenda Tillman, the Events and Development Manager of Family Service Rochester.

“We need to pay attention with what’s happening to our youth and that it’s important that there’s resources, that kids know that there’s help available if there’s having challenges,” said Tillman.

Part of the fundraiser comes with a raffle.

“We will sell raffle tickets all summer and then on August 15th, which is the last day Thursday downtown, we will draw the winning tickets here at Thursday’s downtown. We will do a live video on our Facebook channel and then contact the winners shortly there after,” Tilman said.

The journey to the fundraiser is hard work, but it is just as good as the results.

“Kraus Anderson built a playhouse, and Knutson construction built another one so there’s a total of 3. They will all be down here on Thursdays on 1st at least once time this summer. This is the one Kellog’s students built down here today,” said John Eischen, the Chair of Committee for Rochester Area Builders.

Building a play house also makes lasting memories.

“The favorite part of the playhouse building is when is when the kids, when they’re done and we send them home, they have their parents stop down and they say, “this is what we did today,” said Eischen.

Tickets can be purchased at the Once in a Playhouse displays in downtown Rochester.

Family Service Rochester will last be downtown on Thursday, August 15th before announcing raffle winners.