(Back Row/L to R) Record Bin owner Tom Lounges, HSNI Board President Jerry Kanies, HSNI Executive Director Freida White, Santa Claus, Record Bin owner Alice Lounges. Front Row: Record Bin store manager Riley Mummey. (Photo provided)
In Northwest Indiana, a record store fundraiser helped homeless animals this holiday. Both locations of Tom Lounges Record Bin, Hobart and Michigan City, again hosted a fundraiser to benefit Humane Society of Northwest Indiana (HSNI) in Gary’s Miller neighborhood. On December 3rd, during Santa’s annual visit to the Humane Society of Northwest Indiana, store owners Tom and Alice Lounges, along with Hobart manager Riley Mummey, visited the shelter and donated a check for $1,076.80 to HSNI Executive Director Freida White and HSNI Board President Jerry Kanies to brighten the holidays for the animals in their care.
“The notion is simple. Buy a grab bag and help the shelter save lives.” said store manager Mummey. “Overstock albums and CDs along with albums donated to the store by members of the community who are downsizing, moving or who have had loved ones pass away, are cleaned and put into brown paper bags which are then sealed and put out to be sold.” Each “mystery bag,” contains 5 LPs or 5 CDs. A minimum $5 donation is requested.
The November 2022 campaign was done in honor of John Eisenhutt, Jr., the store said. “John and I shared a passion for music and animal rescue, which created a bond between us,” said Tom Lounges. “When John passed away in September 2022 at the much too young age of 66, his family donated John’s record collection to the Record Bin, knowing it would be in good hands.” Record Bin used many of Eisenhutt’s albums for its latest “Grab Bag” campaign and others were added to the store’s ongoing “Red Tag” campaign, from which a percentage of red tagged LP sales are donated quarterly to HSNI.
This latest donation was given in memory of John and his beloved dog Roscoe, one of many animals who benefited from Eisenhutt’s kindness and generosity over the years, the news release said. More on the HSNI shelter at: www.humanesocietynorthwestindiana.org .
