Non-Profit Social Calendar: Spring-Fall 2007

The fourth annual Hope Gala for the Wilmington office of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is a black tie event with proceeds assisting in finding a cure for diabetes and its complications through support of research. Since the first gala in 2004 Wilmington has raised $922 000 with the majority going to North Carolina projects at Chapel Hill and Duke. This year’s goal is to raise $350 000. The evening will feature live music live and silent auctions and honoring and presenting the “Living and Giving” Award to Rusty Carter. The theme of this year’s gala is “Everyone needs a hero” striving to find a cure and be a hero to a child with diabetes.
509-9899 or www.jdrftriangle.org.

Lower Cape Fear Hospice Foundation presents Festival of Life “A Southern Summer Evening” featuring music hors d’oeuvres beverages silent live and Chinese auctions. Tickets are $100 per person. www.hospiceandlifecarecenter.org.

Now in its sixth year P.A.W.S. (Pets Are Worth Saving) of NC will once again host Paw Jam a day-long event featuring live bands arts and crafts an educational tent and plenty of food and beverages. More than 2 000 people are expected to attend and approximately $15 000 will again be raised. All the proceeds go to no-kill noprofit animal rescue groups. 232-1165 or www.pawjam.net.

The seventh Annual Battleship Hootenanny a concert of folk and pop favorites will be held on the Fantail under the stars (or in the auditorium if inclement weather). John Golden and friends head up a fine cast of local musical groups. Tickets are $10 (cash only) at the door. Fresh popcorn and sodas available for $1 each. 251-5797 ext. 2045 or www.battleshipnc.com.

ECI Custom Homes and Development will hold the 12th annual fundraiser for the Tammy Lynn Center in Raleigh a privately funded center for handicapped children. Last year’s event brought together more than 160 guests and raised more than $10 000 for the center. (919) 441-6445

The third Annual Festival of Life will include wine sampling food silent and live auctions and unique entertainment. Last year’s event was sold out and raised more than $50 000 for services and programs offered by Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter. 772-5444 (ext. 344) or www.hospiceandlifecarecenter.org.

The Cape Fear Teddy Bear Ball is an evening that includes silent and live auctions dinner and dancing as well as appearances by special guests — patients and physicians from Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center. A limited number of tickets is available and tables sell out quickly. Be sure to be a part of this very special gala event and contact us today. Local businesses or individuals are invited to help make miracles happen by donating items for our silent and live auctions. Donations are tax-deductible and donor names will appear in print in the evening program and also on the item’s bid board during the auction. 793-8466 or www.dukechildrens.org.

The second N.C. Holiday Flotilla Launch Party will include heavy hors d’oeuvres a live auction benefiting the Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter and dancing to the tunes of Sleeping Booty. Money raised goes toward the operation of the N.C. Holiday Flotilla. 256-2120 or www.ncholidayflotilla.org.

During this benefit for the Good Shepherd Center sponsors representing realtors builders attorneys mortgage companies insurance agencies and other businesses will come together to form six builder teams who will construct six different playhouses. The builder teams will unveil their playhouses during a free community event geared to families approximately a week before the gala. The “Let’s Play House” benefit will culminate in a gala event featuring dinner entertainment dancing a silent auction and the live auction of the playhouses. “Lets Play House” benefits Good Shepherd Center whose mission is to feed the hungry shelter the homeless and transition those in crisis to independence in the community. Last year’s “Last Days of Summer” Gala raised more than $60 000. 763-4424 ext. 113 or www.goodshepherdcenter.org.

The Ball will be an elegant black tie event inspired by Truman Capote’s original Black & White Ball at New York’s Plaza Hotel in 1966. The event will encompass the Hilton’s entire first floor and ballroom which will be dramatically transformed with lighting and black and white decor. A cocktail hour will be followed by a seated dinner and dancing. A silent auction from 6:30 – 10:00 p.m. will feature a wide array of fine art and sculpture in addition to season tickets to cultural events museum memberships etc. Tickets to the event are $125 per person. 763-7349 or www.wilmingtondowntown.com.

The Secret Garden Tour starts at the Latimer House this year. The tour benefits the Latimer House and gardens headquarters of the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society. The Latimer House located on 3rd Street was built in 1852. 762-0492 or www.latimerhouse.org.

The American Cancer Society Hope Gala will partner with the Wilmington-Cape Fear Homebuilders Association for its sixth year. It will include entertainment dancing and a silent auction. 799-3737 (ext. 102).

A fun-filled tradition Cape Fear Literacy Council’s Spelling Bee for literacy pits three-person spelling teams of adults against each other to win the coveted Bee Trophy to showcase at their office or place of business for a year. Sponsors and team members come from area businesses professionals and civic groups throughout the Cape Fear area. Local celebrity emcees spur the fun along in good-natured competition. Proceeds benefit CFLC’s adult literacy programs. 251-0911 or www.cfliteracy.org.

October Please contact DREAMS for exact date)

This event benefits a youth development program that uses the arts to help the most marginalized youth in our community. The event includes live and silent auctions and performances by students and local artists. For those who attend the DREAMS program participation in the arts is not simply an extracurricular pastime but rather a way off the streets and into activities that are life-giving and future-building. All the proceeds from the evening go directly to allowing DREAMS to continue to meet the needs of children in the community. 772-1501 or www.dreamswilmington.org.

This event will feature sample signature dishes from Wilmington’s premier restaurants and chefs. The evening will also include live and silent auctions. All proceeds from the event will benefit the March of Dimes mission — preventing birth defects and infant mortality. 452-1515.

Held in the final quarter of the year the child advocacy benefit includes dinner and dancing with live music and live and silent auctions. The event raises money for at-risk children and families in an effort to find ways to prevent child abuse and neglect. Two new programs — Grandparents Support Network supporting grandparents who take in children who are not their own and the Single Mom’s Alliance which supports single moms in terms of identifying resources to help raise their children — have been started. E-mail thompsonc@childadvocacywilm.org or www.childadvocacywilm.org.

Get behind the wheel of your own race car at the Cape Fear Mini Grand Prix! Sponsorship packages begin at $3 500 and include your own race car to keep customize and race in this exciting event! Race teams will compete in a series of four 20-lap heats and a championship heat. This event is free to spectators and includes a Kidzone of games prizes concessions and more. It’s fun for the entire family. Please call for more information on how your business or organization can become involved. 793-8466 or www.dukechildrens.org.