Trish Bennett, Editor
CIRCLEVILLE – Organizers for the Pickaway Leadership Roast have chosen their next ‘victim’ to serve as honoree for the second annual event – retired Sheriff Dwight E. Radcliff.
Radcliff was rendered “speechless” by the surprise announcement at the Noon Rotary meeting Thursday at the Watt Street Tavern, but he quickly recovered and said he was honored by the recognition.
The Pickaway Leadership Roast is presented in the style of the old Dean Martin Celebrity Roast shows, in which speakers are invited to present their humorous version of events that involve Dwight Radcliff. The purpose is to have fun with the honoree while raising money for charitable causes.
The second annual Pickaway Leadership Roast is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 23, 2016, at the coliseum at the Pickaway County Fairgrounds. The event is sponsored by the Leadership for Tomorrow Fund of the Pickaway Competitiveness Network.
“We selected Dwight Radcliff for several reasons,” said Sereana H. Dresbach, chair of the fund advisory board. “He was a leader at the local, state and national level of law enforcement; he has given his time and talents to many, many organizations; and most important, he is a good sport. This is a roast, after all.”
Dresbach said the Leadership for Tomorrow Fund focuses on hands-on training for the next generation of leaders in this county – elected, appointed and philanthropic leaders.
“This event is a fundraiser for the fund, as well as a way to raise funds for those charities close to the heart of our honoree,” she said.
Dresbach said the inaugural event that honored Stephen Gary from The Savings Bank raised $2,000 each for his selected charities, which were Haven House, Emergency Clearinghouse Food Pantry and Pickaway County 4H.
Dresbach said organizers will meet with Radcliff later this summer to identify his two charities and begin recruiting some items to auction during the roast.
Tickets for the event will go on sale Nov. 1, and seating is limited.
“If it’s anything like our first one, we will be sold out by the end of December,” Dresbach said.
Tickets may be purchased from board members or through Pickaway Fellows. A list of board members can be found at www.yourpccf.org/pcn/pcn-leadership.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
