Save the Date: Returning this year to its earlier fundraising model, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona will host a community breakfast on April 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. “It’s a great way to talk to individuals and share with them what we do and how they can help,” says Laura Capello, president and CEO. The morning’s … [More]
Crisis Nursery: Breaking the Cycle of Child Abuse
Old Las Vegas of the Rat Pack era will be the setting for Crisis Nursery’s annual “Blue Skies” fundraiser on February 23 at the Montelucia Resort & Spa. This year, the dinner-and-dancing event will start with a casino reception. Blackjack, craps, even a roulette table — and winners can take their winning chips over to the “super” silent auction to bid on items such as one … [More]
Arthritis Foundation Arizona: Programs Get into the Community
Oscar glitz, glamour and excitement strikes again in Phoenix for the 19th time on February 24 at the Camelback Inn, when Arthritis Foundation Arizona holds its annual gala fundraiser, “Oscar Experience.” “It starts at the red carpet, of course,” says Executive Director Valerie Jones. The red carpet — lined with camera-flashing paparazzi — leads to the ballroom where those … [More]
Ryan House: Quality of Life to Sustain Families of Children with Life-threatening Illness
Golfers get to eat their way around the golf course Saturday, Dec. 1, on Ryan House fundraiser Gourmet Golf. “It’s an entertainment and food event, not just a golf tournament,” says Rusty Dees, a member of Ryan House Board of Directors and co-chair of the second annual golf tournament. At every third hole, a celebrity chef — whom Dees describes as “among the most recognizable … [More]
Arizona Burn Foundation: Easing Burn Victims’ Traumas
Standing 10 to 12 feet high and stunningly adorned, the live Christmas trees towering in the Camelback Inn’s ballroom for the Holiday Festival of Trees on Dec. 8 will generate bidding among the evening’s guests that will provide nearly one-third of the Arizona Burn Foundation’s annual operating budget. Climactic as the auction is — last year, one bidding war got up to $30,000 … [More]
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale: Fostering Enrichment and Character-building
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, thanks to a partnership with AXA Advisors, launches a new event that it hopes will bolster its revenue by $60,000 toward its array of programs and services for kids ages 6 to 18. The organization’s first-ever Weekend Jetaway takes off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9, for a three-and-a-half-hour flight of fancy with fine dining, … [More]
The Wellness Community: Quality-of-life Programs for Families Battling Cancer
A fall evening under the stars for a backyard dinner party at an historic 1906 home — The Wellness Community’s annual Porch Party fundraiser (held this year on Oct. 20) welcomes guests to “feel like you’re in your own home, in the backyard, having dinner with your friends,” says Executive Director Vikki Scarafiotti. The financial goal for the event is to raise $300,000, … [More]
Goodwill of Central Arizona: Celebrating Good Works with a Good Time
Goodwill of Central Arizona’s Denim & Diamonds affair is more about the denim than the diamonds since it dropped the formal flair it once had for a casual boots-and-jeans evening with an emphasis on fun that last year drew a sell-out crowd of 600. “People have a really good time,” says Jim Teter, president and CEO. Sustaining the event’s thoroughly Western theme — taking … [More]
Teen Lifeline: Hope and a Helping Hotline
Talented teen performers headlining Teen Lifeline’s black-tie-optional Connections of Hope gala at the Montelucia on Oct. 6 will add a new vibe to the annual fundraiser, as the organization syncs the evening’s program to its mission of empowering teens to make healthy decisions. “We utilize teens in our delivery of service [of training and providing peer counselors to man the … [More]
Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona: Golf Tourney Supports Operation Outreach for Injured Veterans
The Apache Longbow helicopter sitting on the golf course indicates the Salute to Armed Forces Golf Tournament is not an ordinary round of golf. Punctuating play with further excitement at various holes are additional contests, among them a hole-in-one challenge sponsored by a car dealership, the Phoenix Coyotes’ challenge to make the golf swing with a hockey stick and a “Beat … [More]
Hon Kachina Council: Inspiring Volunteerism
Volunteers take center stage as the Hon Kachina Council celebrates their efforts at the prestigious Hon Kachina Awards, an annual event held this year on Sept. 29 at the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale. Showcasing their contributions to the community, the event presents them as examples to inspire others to volunteer. The black-tie-optional event starts with cocktails on the … [More]
Waste Not: Saving Food to Feed the Hungry
Every day, 7,000 pounds of food — steak, milk, pastries, produce — is not simply tossed on a garbage heap and left to rot. Thanks to Waste Not, surplus but perfectly good food from caterers, resorts, grocery stores and other establishments is rerouted to community centers, senior centers, homeless shelters or other locations that can make immediate use of it. “It’s so much … [More]
Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County: Providing the Power of Reading
It’s a whopping 45 percent of the Phoenix population that can benefit from reading instruction, says Kelly Stewart, executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County. Some need instruction in English as a second language (many students are referred from the Somali and Sudanese refugee center, Stewart notes); some struggled in school themselves and now, as parents, … [More]
