The Valerie Fund Blog

The Valerie Fund 31^st Annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala was held November 18th at The Grove 

 in Cedar Grove, NJ. The evening showcased the talent of our Valerie Fund kids, with a beautiful musical performance given by River. Abigaël did an amazing job as MC, and gave a moving speech sharing her Valerie Fund journey.

The Valerie Fund was proud to honor The New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers and New Jersey's Franchised New Car and Truck Retailers and Team Stoma, Midlige & Brown. for their extensive efforts on behalf of the families of The Valerie Fund. We are grateful for their support and proud to call them Valerie Fund partners.

On November 22nd, The Valerie Fund hosted it's 28th Annual Thanksgiving Ball Gala at The Grove in Cedar Grove, NJ. This event is our largest fundraiser of the year and is a time to come together and support the children of The Valerie Fund for the following year. We have a collection of some of our favorite photos from the night for you to enjoy.

The Valerie Fund's Thanksgiving Ball Gala has been the highlight of the organization's fall/winter fundraising season and after 26 years, a change in venue set the tone for an all-out effort to dazzle guests. Close to 350 guests came to the beautiful facility, The Grove in Cedar Grove, NJ and soon realized they were a part of the most memorable evening to date! Towering autumn centerpieces filled the tables in the massive ballroom. But the room couldn't contain the enthusiasm and generosity of the guests in response to the honoree speeches and interactions with our patient ambassadors.

Before the lineup of speakers took to the podium Valerie Fund patient, Olivia introduced the evening's 15 ambassadors. Ranging in age from six to 19, each current or former Valerie Fund patient spoke a little bit about themselves and mingled with guests in the ballroom.

Pat Tully, the Gala's auctioneer, rallied the crowd during the evening's live auction which featured tickets to see Bruce Springsteen on Broadway plus a signed guitar, and dinner for ten in the private dining room of the esteemed L'Artusi restaurant in New York City. Close to $600,000 was raised --- the second largest fundraising total in the Ball's history!