Beyond the Bay gala attendees contributed to and experienced a lively fundraising event filled with good vibes, inspiration, and generosity.
The drive along Canal Boulevard had many people wondering “where the heck are we going?” as they drove past industrial areas to arrive at the rustic historic shipbuilding complex that is home to Riggers Loft, our ‘Beyond the Bay’ gala venue.
Thankfully the sun prevailed after intermittent sprinkles of rain while we were setting up for the event. Bay breezes accompanied guests to the entrance of the large, open industrial space of a working winery and tasting room transformed with lights, tables, color, flowers and greenery.
Clay Bell, a talented musician and vocalist, lifted the energy and wove good vibes for our 1st act – cocktails and social time. Passed hors d’oeuvres made the rounds while people tasted the wines and ciders made on site and perused the awesome travel packages in our silent auction, courtesy of AmFund.org. Shout out to Chef Frank Miller for the delicious offerings from appetizers to desserts!
After our guests were seated, the program opened with a welcome from Lazarex CEO Stephanie Rivera, and a tribute to our coworker Pamela Kimball-Brown who, sadly, passed away this spring.
Dana Dornsife, Lazarex Founder, delivered an inspirational update about the mission and accomplishments of the foundation, and introduced Anthony Costello from Medidata Solutions, who spoke about the important work coming from our collaboration through their Social Innovation Lab.
A profoundly captivating performance we call ‘Three Hairs,’ about a cancer experience, was delivered by Grammy award winning storyteller Diane Ferlatte, accompanied by guitarist Erik Pearson.
Lazarex Invictus Awards were presented to two of our VIPs (very important patients) Jo Mary and Shenard Matthews for their efforts to raise awareness about the barriers cancer patients face and the importance of self advocacy.
Emcee and Auctioneer, Mellisa Neilson, of The Charity Angels, along with her sister Candace, did their best to keep us on schedule and led us through some lively rounds of bidding for our live auction and most generous rounds of giving for the of Fund-A-Need.
All in, it was was a beautiful evening of celebration and generosity on the Bay! Many thanks to all who attended or donated, and our sponsors, donors, and volunteers for making our Beyond the Bay gala one of our most successful events. We raised over $458,000!
Check out our GALA PHOTO GALLERY!
Check out our PHOTO BOOTH GALLERY!
