On Saturday, November 12th A Warm Winter’s Eve was enjoyed at the 7th Annual Tim Griffith Foundation Gala. We spent the evening celebrating the transformation experienced over the years in our foundation, our communities, and in the lives of the people we serve. Many people commented that these annual Galas have come to feel like a reunion of caring people, and this year being our 7th Gala, the transformation of the foundation that had taken place was particularly apparent.
This years’ Gala was sold out with an attendance just shy of 300 people – second only to the attendance at our first Gala when we saw an out-pouring of support in response to the tragic loss of Tim. Along with the great attendance came the incredible amount of funds raised: $96,000! We see the success of the Gala as one indicator that our supporters believe in the value of the work we are doing, and want to continue this journey with us.
Eric Snyder, our emcee for our evening program, took us through several special activities that are a tradition at the Gala: Patrick McCauley set the mood with lovely guitar and vocal songs, Dave Gayner reported the results of the Annual Croquet Tournament, and several winning attendees claimed raffle prizes.
Stacey Redman and Lisa Perry then took the stage to award the annual Nancy Harris Volunteer of the Year award to Theresa Hernandez-Hines. Theresa has been a volunteer with the foundation since Day 1, and has given her support in so many ways: from donating and creating beautiful auction baskets, to volunteering her time at many of our foundation events, and most recently to participating on the foundation Marketing Committee and helping create our new logo, messaging, website, and newsletter. We are so grateful to have the support and inspiration of this talented woman!
Stacey took us back to the main purpose of the foundation: Transforming the lives of those affected by addiction, violence, and loss. She shared how her personal transformation on her journey of living with grief and loss was helped by the transformation and journey of the foundation. Bringing services and support to others has helped her to find a path for her own transformation.
Stacey then introduced members and clients of the organization supported by the foundation to share their stories of transformation: Juan Carlos Martinez, house manager at Tim’s House, Judith Gable, Collaborative Counseling Program Director at the Cleo Eulau Center, and Maria Segal, a mother who attended our first Meadowlark Retreat for mother’s grieving the sudden loss of an adult child. Maria is now a friend and supporter of the foundation helping to further our work in grief support. All testimonials shared described stories of overcoming what seemed like insurmountable life struggles through the services and support provided by the foundation. All stated that the services our Foundation provides are simply not available anywhere else, and were for them, integral to their transformation.
Maria also reminded us that when we help a grieving mother we also help all the people that mother touches. Many of the young men we help at Tim’s House have children, and the youth that receive counseling through the Collaborative Counseling program at Sequoia High School have family members who are impacted by their life choices as well. These stories of transformation shared were moving and inspirational, and reminded us of how far-reaching the impact of the Foundation is in our communities.
The evening’s program then progressed into the rousing Fund-A-Need. Mike Nevin, Executive Director of the Service League of San Mateo County, joined by Karen Francone, Director of the Hope Houses, lead the request for financial donations that are specifically directed to the clients we serve. Long-time supporters and contributors to the Foundation, Kevin and Shannon Scott, provided a very generous matching grant of $5,000 ensuring the success of the Fund-A-Need.
The evening culminated with the live auction which is managed year after year by Steve and Theresa Bowerman. One-of-a-kind artwork, vacations and adventures were auctioned off and are sure to be enjoyed by the winning bidders in the coming year.
There are so many people to thank for the success of this Gala, and for the work of the Foundation year-round. At this time we would like to thank all of our supporters who attend our Gala, donate time and money, and continually show your support for the Foundation. Although it was cold outside, inside the Elk’s Lodge it felt like a Warm Winter’s Eve; friends gathered in the spirit of transformation: from addiction to recovery, from violence to peace, and from tragedy to hope.
