Avalon Manor was the site of an elegant affair Friday as Trade Winds Services hosted their 23rd annual gala. Trade Winds is an organization dedicated to serving people with special needs by helping them to reach their true potential. The Gala is one of two major fundraisers that the organization does every year.
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“Tonight is a fundraising event but also a public awareness event. We are here to raise funds for our programs that help kids and adult with disabilities. This is also a way for us to show what we do and the people we serve,” said Trade Winds CEO John Gold.
Guests and Trade Winds Participants mingled as they arrived before the start of dinner. The night honored trade winds participants as well as Pirates Inc, an organization dedicated to helping children with special needs.
“I was the original pirate. We called it that because the building trades were involved and trade winds remind you of pirates. We liked to dress up in costume and raise money for trade winds. We’ve been a major contributor to the health of trade winds for over 50 years and will continue to be,” said James Dye a Pirates Inc. board member.
Post dinner festivities included a silent auction and the sale of clothing items made by Trade Winds participant Miguel Giden.
“Tonight I brought a jacket, t-shirts and skirts, they look cool. I make them at work on a sewing machine during my break time,” said Giden.
The night also featured the Trade Winds Believe and Achieve Choir, a crowd favorite from last year’s gala. The choir entertained gala attendees with contemporary classics such as R Kellys’ “I Believe I Can fly” as well as new hits like “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. Vocal skills were no doubt on display but, as an added bonus this year, the choir had the matching dance moves. If the crowd reaction was any indicator, they are sure to be back next year.
“We worked really hard to get this event going, it’s really nice to see that people are here excited about Trade Winds and our participants. Tonight we wanted to show people what the dollars they donate go towards doing. We hope people will engage even more by coming in and volunteering. We want people to know that the more they give the more we are able to do,” said Trade Winds Marketing and Development Assistant Kelly Doucet.
To learn more and become involved visit www.tradewindsnwi.org, find them on facebook or stop in for a tour.