Angel of GRACE Award Recipient, Ken Thompson
by Shonda Schaefer, GRACE Executive Director
Nearly 780 guests attended Saturday's GRACE Gala – Angels Among Us – at the Irving Convention Center. The highlight of our event is presenting the Angel of GRACE award each year, and I was honored to give the 2012 award to Ken Thompson. This award is given to an outstanding GRACE supporter who exemplifies the agency's mission. We consider ourselves blessed to know Ken and to have received so much of his support. Ken and The Thompson Group at Classic Chevrolet have been actively supporting our community for many years.
The warm, magical feeling of Saturday's GRACE Gala remains as strong as ever. Guests danced the night away to the awesome arrangements of Limelight, whose rendering of “Jessie's Girl” late in the last set had people dancing off the dance floor through and between the tables.
While the stars of the evening were the donors and volunteers who have supported GRACE through the past 25 years, the head cheerleader was master of ceremonies Dan Henry of FOX 4. Dan kept the evening light, energetic and filled with great emotion and joy.
It wouldn't have been a GRACE Gala without a fabulous offering of auction items, and Auctioneer Mike Sadler who, along with Dan, conducted an auctioneering performance second to none.
Stephanie and Tommy Pennington, this year's Gala chairs, were recognized for their leadership and dedication to this year's efforts. In turn, Stephanie and Tommy gave impassioned credit to the hundreds of volunteers needed for the Gala effort, including Laura Grosskopf (Auction Chair), Glenn Hanner (Sponsorship Chair), Adam Smith (Raffle Chair) and Tammy Nakamura (Table Sales Chair).
Great thanks were also given to The Expo Group and Alford Media for their parts in the artistic direction and technical aspects of the Gala.
Thanks to all who attended the GRACE Gala, and the hundreds of others who gave items for the Live, Big Board, Platinum or Silent Auctions. The GRACE Gala is the single largest fundraising event for GRACE, and the funds raised through the auctions is a large part of the budget for GRACE services and programs.
Auction items are available to be picked up from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the GRACE offices, 610 Shady Brook in Grapevine.
The date for the next GRACE Gala is Saturday, October 12, 2013! See you all there!