Every year volunteers lead big, new events or re-energize some old favorites. Here are just five of our spectacular events of 2008.
Fundraising Gets Nitty-Gritty
Good to the Last Bite
Spotlight Shines Bright
Rewarding Patience for Patients
New York Fashion Crowd Has a Ball
The sound of growling motorcycles filled the air at the 6th Annual Dee Snider’s Bikers for Babies® on Long Island. More than 3,000 riders rode off in the name of babies and raised more than $146,000. As the tailpipes cooled and the party heated up, one motorcycle was claimed by the highest bidder while a raffled chopper revved away into the night.
Savory smells filled the room at the March of Dimes Signature Chefs® Gala in Houston. Several of the city’s best chefs provided mouthwatering morsels of their specialty dishes, and then attendees were treated to a five-course sit-down meal. Featured auction packages included a stay at an Italian villa, as well as accommodations at Chateau Robert in France. The magical evening raised $334,000.
What do local celebrities, artists, attorneys, doctors, sports figures, members of the media and the business community have in common? They are all outstanding fundraisers for babies who were honored at New Orleans Spotlight on Success. Honorees helped raise $114,500 for the event. After all the hard work is done, the evening transforms into a night of fun, dining and dancing. Most honorees come back year after year to serve on the Spotlight on Success committee.
Patients, friends, co-workers and other health professionals attended one of the largest and oldest events of its kind in the nation: the 2008 Nurse of the Year celebration in Nevada. Almost 2,000 people were nominated and only 24 were chosen to represent the cream of the crop. A Silent Auction led to a sit-down dinner followed by an Academy-Awards®-of-bedside-manner ceremony. The event raised $168,152.
It’s the New York fashion scene’s hottest ticket — in 2008, the Beauty Ball® celebrated 33 years of glitz, glamour and raising funds for babies. Bernd Beetz, Chief Executive Officer, COTY Inc., served as the Beauty Ball Chair and Vera Wang, Designer, served as Co-chair. The Beauty Ball host was ABC’s Ugly Betty star, Vanessa Williams. Aerialist performers kicked off the evening with an unforgettable, high-flying experience. If the beauty and cosmetics industry has a reputation for opulence, it is equally known for its generosity. Overall, the event brought in more than $1.2 million dollars. With a flair for courting big names and attracting publicity, John G. Ledes, Founder of Beauty Fashion, and founder of the Beauty Ball, has helped raise awareness of the mission of the March of Dimes as well as $31 million to benefit New York’s babies and their families. Longtime New York Chapter Chair, Lawrence Aiken of Condé Nast Media Group, served as the event’s honorary chair.
