GRACE Celebrates a Decade of Gala Fundraising
With the population of NorthbrTexas booming — new developments seem to go up every day and highways arebrcontinuously being overhauled — it's hard to think back to a time when thebrpopulation of Grapevine was only 16,000. Even then, there were people in needbrof support. Organized in 1987, the Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange (GRACE)brbegan as a network of churches helping Grapevine residents who were experiencingbrcrises in their lives. Today, as the population continues to grow, so too doesbrthe need for emergency assistance, transitional housing and quality healthcarebrfor more than 110,000 people who call Northeast Tarrant County home.
As expensesbrcontinue to rise, the community is grateful for the foresight of many supportersbrwho set the wheels of the GRACE Gala in motion. Conceived 10 years ago, GRACE'sbrannual black-tie affair, Angels Among Us, has become the organization’s singlebrlargest source of funding, to the tune of more than $2 million. The gala is morebrthan just the North Texas socialbrevent of the season — it’s a night to celebrate working together to help othersbrin our communities and to raise money so GRACE can continue helping those in crisis.br
LookingbrBack
When the gala began in 2004,brLaura Newton and Leigh Wambsganss blazed a trail as the first-ever gala committeebrchairs. The inaugural event was held at the Hilton DFW Lakes where, due to sizebrconstraints, attendance was limited to 400 people. The first committee made thebrevent something everyone would enjoy, remember and continue attending for yearsbrto come.
“Thesebrladies, along with leadership from the past Board President Gary Bowker andbrExecutive Director Tricia Wood, knew that people would want to continuebrattending future galas if they set the stage by making it one of the bestbrsocial events in North Texas,” says Shonda Schaefer, GRACE’s executive director.brOver the years, the event has featured a Texas-sized Eiffel Tower as well as a GalabrUnder the Stars theme. After chairing the first gala, Newton tragically passed away,brleaving a void in the hearts of many within the GRACE family.
“After Laurabrpassed, I co-chaired the second gala, and I was personally blessed beyond wordsbrto see the overwhelming response of the community to support our efforts,” saysbrCyndi Miller, a 2005 co-chair. “Tammy [Nakamura] and I stepped up after thebrloss of Laura — the year was very special and at times painful for all of us.brWe dedicated the gala to Laura, and of course, it became a banner year forbrGRACE given the gala's huge success. Our committee felt the sweet presence ofbrLaura through every facet of the gala; she was our angel among us.”
Thanks tobrthe efforts of these early volunteers, the evening has always featured great people,brdelicious food and drinks, amazing auctions and the best live entertainment inbrthe surrounding area.
“Thebrgala is a great way to introduce friends to all that GRACE does throughout ourbrcommunity,” says Annie Zvonecek,bra 2008brco-chair. “Beyondbrattending the gala, my husband Brian and I encourage othersbrto tour the GRACE facilities and see all the good work that is done. It isbrtruly eye-opening to see the efforts and how great the need is so close tobrhome.”
Annual highlights
For gala attendees, the highlightbrof the night is seeing the Angel of GRACE award given to a person orbrorganization that exemplifies GRACE’s mission of stewardship, compassion andbrguidance toward self-sufficiency. Awardees are honored at the gala and receivebra Waterford crystal angel.
“I rememberbrall of our Angels and their generous contributions to GRACE and our communities,”brSchaefer says. “Each has marked our lives, leaving a trail of generosity and abrlegacy of true service.” In 2005, the Angel of GRACE award was created inbrmemory of Newton, a true gala visionary. Subsequent recipients include Barb andbrPaul Claffey — both instrumental in supporting the GRACE Health Clinicbrfinancial campaign — as well as Linda Pekowski, Paula and Charlie Walker, Judybrand Tom Hund, Sandy and Stephen Hartnett and most recently, Classic Chevrolet'sbrKen Thompson, who was honored for five consecutive years as the event's title sponsor.brAdditionally, each year since GRACE's inception, a car has been raffled off.
“My favoritebrmemory is when Tricia Wood won the car raffle just after leaving the agency,”brSchaefer says. “The drawing was completely honest. The Lord was truly guidingbrour hand that night.” Yet for most, the true highlight of the evening comesbrfrom hearing directly from those whom GRACE has helped. “My memories arebrcentered on each client who has fearlessly told their story about how GRACEbrhelped them in a very real time of need,” Schaefer adds.
The 10thAnnual GRACE Gala
The 2013 Angels Among Us GRACE Galabrwill be held Saturday, October 12, at the Irving Convention Center. The evening willbrbegin with drinks and hors d’oeuvres enjoyed by guests while they peruse thebrsilent auction items and prepare for the platinum, big board and live auctionsbrto come. The black-tie dinner will feature great speakers, including Master ofbrCeremonies Dan Henry, gala committee chairs Sheri and Mike Mills and auctioneerbrMike Sadler as well as a video presentation specially produced for thisbroccasion.
A raffle ofbreither a 2013 Chevy Camaro or Silverado Extended Cab will occur following whatbrwill likely be a last-minute rush to buy tickets. The evening will concludebrwith dancing to tunes from the band Limelight. To commemorate the 10thanniversary gala, GRACE asked Pekowski, a longtime gala designer, to use herbrknowledge of the event and her creativity to design a motif that will inspirebrcelebration.
“This isbrLinda's tenth time to design a theme for our gala,” Schaefer says. “I know itbris dear to her heart just as she is dear to everyone here at GRACE.” Pekowski beganbrwith the idea that GRACE helps in times of crises. From this, the concept grewbrof storm clouds parting, making way for the sunshine and forming a brilliantbrrainbow. It is a symbol of a new beginning and a passage to a better placebrbeyond the ravages of nature. For those who seek the aid of GRACE, it is thebrpromise of a new start, free of the concerns of financial woes, hunger,brhomelessness and illness.
Continuing the mission
With a mission grounded in faith,brGRACE continues to help people with programming that leads to self-sufficiency.brGRACE has a community health clinic, client-choice food pantry, transitionalbrhousing units, financial assistance and training that lead clients to becomingbrself-sufficient once again. Because of the great community care, GRACE isbrsupported through financial gifts as well as thousands of hours of volunteer work.
“Nearlybr5,800 volunteers donate their time to GRACE each year,” Schaefer says. “It isbrvery gratifying for me to know so many of us are great stewards of ourbrcommunities.”
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