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GODFREY - Karen Wilson is ready to be roasted.
The State Farm agent is known as a good neighbor throughout the Riverbend region, and she’s taking one for the team next month as the celebrity community member who will be roasted to raise funds for Pride, Incorporated. From 5–8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, community members will gather at The Commons at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey for a buffet, roast session and Wilson’s counter-roast.
“My daughter’s been waiting her whole life for this,” Wilson laughed. “I’m scared. If you want to know all the dirt on me and make fun of me, come on Dec. 14th.”
Even the event’s dress code — “Globetrotter Chic” — is a playful poke at Wilson’s hobbies. Wilson, a philanthropist and volunteer through Pride, Inc., joked she’s nervous about this “living wake” but excited to support the nonprofit.
All proceeds will be donated to Pride, Inc., which is a local organization that sponsors beautification projects throughout Alton and Godfrey. Wilson, who serves as a board member, promises to be a good sport during the roast as she is a fervent supporter of the Pride, Inc. mission.
“Our main focus now is to help people love where they live and put a nice, clean face on Alton and Godfrey and the Riverbend area,” she said. “I love this area and I want everybody else to love it too. When those cruise ships stop, when people come across the bridge, when they visit us, when they even just drive through our community, we want it to look like a community that cares.”
Wilson’s State Farm branch, located at 225 Tolle Lane in Godfrey, recently hosted a yard sale where they raised over $1,000 for Pride, Inc. She noted the support from the community makes it possible for the organization to do what it does, and she hopes a lot of community members will come out for the roast to further support local beautification.
She added that she is eager to join the roast “alumni,” including her father Dale Neudecker who was roasted ten years ago. The event will include raffles and many sponsorship opportunities, and even though Wilson is in the hot seat, she promises it will be a fun night.
“It’s just a big party, and some people get up and make jokes at my expense, and I’m okay with that,” Wilson laughed. “If anybody just wants to come out and make fun of me, please buy a ticket.”
Visit the official Pride, Inc. website at PrideIncorporated.org for more information about the organization or to buy tickets to the roast at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023.
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