’Incredible! Fantastic! Absolutely entertaining! High energy and audience engagement! Definitely a 5-Star evening.’ These are just a few of the words used to describe the Rotary Club of Temple’s fundraising evening, The Killer Dueling Pianos, held September 3 at the Cultural Activities Center in Temple,” said Rotary club president Rod Henry.
The event attended by about 200 people exceed expectations or organizers with net revenue of nearly $32,000, Henry said. Temple Children’s Museum was presented with a check for $16,000 at the Oct. 7 weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Temple held at the Temple Children’s Museum. The other half of the money is going to #RotaryTempleStrong’s varied service projects touching education, health, youth, community, leadership and the environment.
 
The amount of the donation was revealed through a “Price is Right” skit where museum founder Kathryn Hermans had to place assorted items in the right price order from lowest to highest. When the cost of each item was announced, the check to the museum was $16,000.
 
“Temple Children’s Museum is thrilled to receive such a generous donation from such a giving club,” Hermans said. “It was such a fun presentation.”
 
The idea for “The Killer Dueling Pianos” actually began in July 2019 when the Rotary Club board began looking for a new fundraising idea. Three months later the club decided to hire the piano duo and began recruiting sponsors, selling tables and tickets, securing upscale silent auction items, renting a location, and arranging for food and beverages.
By February 2020 the April event was sold out, only to hit global health concerns of COVID-19. “The club chose to postpone rather than cancel the event to allow the club and its members to focus on the health and safety of our citizens and local businesses,” Henry said.
 
“Overlapping the terms of three club presidents and boards, coming 26 months after the initial idea and 17 months after the first scheduled date, this experience represents the true heart and soul of the Rotary Club of Temple showing perseverance, leadership, team spirit, service above self and people of action,” Henry said.