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FAIRHOPE, Alabama — While the totals are not complete, supporters of the Exceptional Foundation said they were pleased with the results of last week’s fundraiser featuring former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The foundation sold about 200 tickets for the event at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Bob Callahan Sr., organization president, said. He said the total should be enough to turn a profit and the event helped publicize the group’s efforts to help special needs residents and their families.

“I think we’re going to end up in the black, not in the red,” Callahan said. “I’m not concerned, but we need to get in all the bills before we know what the final totals are.”

Tickets were sold at $600 each. Foundation officials have not released the speaking fee charged by Palin. During the speech, Palin described her own experiences when her youngest child, Trig, was born with Down syndrome.

“I think it was just great we had the turnout that we did,” Callahan said. “We would have loved to have more and would have hated to have had less.”

Callahan said some participants have said they planned to make additional donations to the foundation, but those funds have not yet been received. He said the response by evening’s audience members and group supporters was very positive.

“We were delighted with the way things turned out,” he said. “We’ve heard from a number of people who attended and they were all just very, very high in their praise of the whole evening.”

Callahan said the foundation plans to start work this fall in a temporary facility at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Daphne.

Craig Dahle, a foundation board member, said Baldwin County supporters hope to develop a facility similar to the state’s first Exceptional Foundation facility in Birmingham.

“They’re up and running and have a wonderful institution and facility to go with 300 participants,” Dahle said at the fundraiser. “We’re trying to do something like that in Baldwin County and it really comes down to every community should have an Exceptional Foundation.”

Supporters said the Baldwin center could also serve as many as 300 once a permanent facility is complete.

He said the Baldwin County public school system has good programs to help children with conditions such as Down syndrome. When the children are past school age, however, few opportunities are available.

“So we’re looking for a facility where people can have a place to go, a place to congregate, a place to continue their social and recreational life and that’s what we’re trying to do with the Exceptional Foundation in Baldwin County,” he said.

The Baldwin program is planned to provide social activities, sports, arts and crafts work, after-school programs and other opportunities.

Donations to the Baldwin facility are now tax deductible through the Birmingham foundation’s 501(c)(3) certification, organizers said. Supporters hope to raise about $300,000 to start the Baldwin County program.

For more information on the planned facility, call 251-621-9499 or 251-929-0087. Information on Exceptional Foundation programs is available at www.exceptionalfoundation.org.

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