Can you believe 1920 was 100 years ago? Gone are the days of flappers and the Ford Model T, the new decade is here and with that comes the second, hopefully, Roaring ’20s.
Unfortunately, a harsh reality that hasn’t changed after 100 years is that people and families still go hungry.
The Pickerington Food Pantry will help combat this problem with a little nostalgia during its third Hope Gala on March 14. After the success of the 2019 Godfather theme, this year will celebrate the 1920s at The Wigwam in a similar fashion. From gambling to surprises, you won’t want to miss this black-tie event.
The Hope Gala began in 2018 as a way to connect the community and put on a party for a wholesome cause. Prior to the Hope Gala, the panty only featured family-oriented fundraisers, such as the Play 4 the Pantry on July 4 and its Christmas Festival of Lights. The pantry knew it was missing an opportunity to reach even more people.
“The thought was to bring a more formal event to Pickerington that would also raise money for the pantry,” says Vanessa Niekamp, executive director of the pantry. “We already had two family-oriented events, so I looked at a more formal, adult event. It’s worked really well for us.”
The first one was such a hit that they immediately began planning the next one. Despite only having enough space to sell 250 tickets, the gala is the biggest fundraiser the pantry hosts, raising upward of $40,000 in a single night. Even more, Niekamp says the pantry can compound that money to help more families in need of emergency food assistance.
“For every dollar that we raise, we turn it into $11 worth of food through our partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Bank. That kind of revenue coming into the pantry really helps us to provide enough food for everybody who might seek assistance,” Niekamp says.
Cheers to Partying
Even though the event is fairly new, the pantry quickly learned what the people want. This year will once again feature casino tables, a dance floor and raffle prizes. But the 2020 event will include an intriguing twist at the end of the night.
Gala attendees will vote for next year’s theme, which will be counted and revealed at the end of the night. Niekamp says they have narrowed it down to five exciting themes for guests to choose from.
Which 2021 Theme Will You Pick?
- Mardi Gras
- Fire and Ice
- Disco Night
- Throwback to High School Prom
- Violet Ball
The Hope Gala’s success is now something everyone at the food pantry depends upon, especially this year.
“The gala is super important to us in 2020. The tax changes that occurred last tax period really impacted individual donations to the food pantry. This year, people have donated less overall, so it is more important that the gala be as big a success as it has been in the past,” says Niekamp.
Tickets are going fast – almost 100 tickets were sold before 2019 came to an end. The Gala is set for March 14 at The Wigwam. The $75 ticket includes a meal and two drink tickets, but don’t forget to bring extra cash for the casino and raffle prizes.
Brittany Mosley is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
