WMCD Inc. to host murder mystery fundraiser

WESTFIELD — WMCD Inc. is back with another fundraiser led by its youth team in support of local charities. The organization will present a murder mystery dinner on Jan. 31 at Wyckoff Country Club and is encouraging the public to attend and enjoy an evening of mystery to assist good causes.

WMCD Inc. is a Westfield-based nonprofit where youth engage in hands-on leadership opportunities that give back. Driven by a “youth team” of students in grades 7-12, WMCD hosts fundraising events during the year, culminating with an annual 25-hour “all-nighter” to support local charity recipients.

Written by Paula Hilton, “Death by Cupcake” is an immersive murder mystery play and the focus of the upcoming fundraiser. When Candy Valentine’s new cupcake shop opens, her cozy celebration turns into a cupcake war. Attendees are invited to join this event and become familiar with Hart Breaker, Drew Blood, Hugh Jeego, Bobby Fillet and Shakira Sharp.

The event is on Jan. 31 at Wyckoff Country Club in Holyoke. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 6 p.m. There will be a cash bar and raffle prizes available. Tickets are $60 and include a dinner buffet served between acts.

“We’re really excited because the event is basically going to transform Wyckoff Country Club into kind of a live murder mystery scene and so the audience is going to have the opportunity to be immersed, have this delicious diner between acts, and really the hope is that we can bring a lot of members of the community together because this is kind of one of those events that appeals to a lot of people,” WMCD Inc.’s Marketing Manager Dominic Monti told the Westfield News. “We’re hoping that pretty much anybody, any age can enjoy the show, the dinner, and of course, all the money goes to charity too, so we’re excited to host it for the first time.”

This is the first murder mystery fundraiser hosted by WMCD and is in continuation of their year-round fundraising efforts. Each year, the organization and its youth team select three charities to benefit from the various fundraising events and work they organize throughout the year.

“Our middle and high school students look at local nonprofit organizations and pick charities they want to support each year, and we’ll present all the money that we’ve raised at the all-nighter in February,” explained Monti. The recipients chosen for this year are Brittney’s Believers, which raises awareness of childhood cancer, Rick’s Place, which provides critical youth grief support, and Rachel’s Table, which battles widespread food insecurity.

WMCD Inc. began work in 2021 after it found inspiration from an all-nighter charity event led by students. After hosting several events, they have so far raised $102,337 for local charities through business and community support. This February’s culminating all-nighter fundraiser will be the fifth in WMCD Inc.’s history.

“One of the core parts of our mission is to show youth that giving back can be fun and rewarding,” added Montil. “We think there’s sometimes a preconceived notion that volunteering for the community or engaging with work with local organizations can be tedious, and while that can be true, we really like to show the youth that there is a lot of fun to it, a lot of community building, and so we try to pick fundraisers that reflect that mission, and that’s exactly why the murder mystery works so well for our organization.”

Collaborating with WMCD Inc. for this murder mystery show is the BUCC Playhouse Players, an all-volunteer group of actors and actresses that will organize the play itself. The show is a three-act play, with dinner and dessert served between the acts.

Monti said the murder mystery is another example of the organization deepening its ties within the community.

“Actors and actresses are going to interact with the audience; they’ll perform the show up front, and at the end, the audience will have the opportunity to submit a guess as to who’s done it, who did the murders, so it’s very interactive and very immersive,” explained Monti. “We’re excited to work with them. It’s a new group of people that we’ve worked with, and we’re always looking to expand our community partnerships and see what other people have to offer and how we can raise money together. We want to create events that pull the community together from different areas.”

Monti said those looking to learn more about or get involved with WMCD Inc. can visit www.wmcd.org, and he encourages people to stay engaged with the organization in any capacity they see fit.

“It’s one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve been a part of personally. I think I speak on behalf of the team when I say that it’s really inspiring to see these middle and high school students step up to the challenge to find themselves through the work to give back to the community and see the impact that they’re making,” said Monti. “To have the community come together again and again gives us a lot of hope and a lot of energy just to keep going, continue to inspire the youth and show them how important it can be to build that sense of community.”