District 5 Councilman Claude Mattox raised $70,000 to benefit several organizations including the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association and Maryvale U.N.I.T.E. Jacori Rufus Memorial Scholarship Fund. The donations were proceeds from Mattox’s Margarita Bash Charity “Fun-raiser” sponsored by Safeway Stores hosted at Cricket Pavilion in west Phoenix.

The donations included $25,000 to support water safety programs at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and $22,672 each to the United Fire Fighters Association Adopt-A-Fence program and Maryvale U.N.I.T.E.’s Jacori Rufus Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides college scholarships to Maryvale High School students.

Checks will be presented to Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association during the upcoming National Drowning Prevention Symposium held April 25-26 at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel. The event continues to grow each year and the funds raised surpassed the previous year’s donation amount by $18,000. This is the fourth charity event Mattox has organized, raising a total of nearly $160,000 for local charities.