Week 11: Sunburst Gala

This week's new thing was something very different. My husband and I attended an Up Side of Downs charity event on Saturday night. It took place at the Renaissance Hotel in Tower City Center downtown. We were invited by someone we know that sits on the board. For those who aren't aware, the Up Side of Downs organization provides educational outreach, family support, advocacy, and social programs for those with downs syndrome. It's a wonderful cause, with 100% of proceeds supporting local families.

When we arrived, we were given this brochure, along with table place cards for dinner seating.  The first part of the night was in a large event room. You could grab a drink at one of the open bars and nosh on some vegies, while mingling.

There was also a red carpet, where you could have your photo taken.

Along the perimeter of the room were tables manned by folks with down syndrome, selling their homemade goods. Items ranged from tie dye garments to beach glass necklaces to candles/soaps. One young man handed me this bookmark with details of his business and proudly introduced me to his wife.

There were lots of different games to play. We did a few of the $20 wine pulls. I was surprised to get such nice bottles of wine, but all of the prizes were donated, so a win/win for both us and the organization. In addition, there was a craft beer pull (6 packs hidden in large gift bags), and mystery bags for $20 each. The mystery bags had gift certificates for everything from Subway to spa treatments. We didn't think we'd use any of the certificates, so we skipped that. Other ways to win prizes involved raffle baskets, silent auctions and sideboards. We purchased a bunch of the sideboard numbers, but didn't win.

At 7 pm, we headed for the ballroom, where dinner was to be served to the nearly 750 attendees. The emcee for the evening was a local TV anchor. There was a dance performance by a local academy of down syndrome dancers, followed by a sit down meal. I had a nice time chatting with the couples on either side of us at the table. Afterwards, there was a DJ with dancing. It was a very nice evening, getting dressed up and going downtown. I especially liked that not only was the gala attended by supporters, but also by people with down syndrome.