Orange County Non-Profit Gala Raises $140k to Help Families

    ORANGE, CA, November 01, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On Saturday, October 22nd, Friendly Center hosted its One Heart Gala at Giracci Vineyards and Farms in Silverado. The event was attended by 146 guests, who enjoyed a beautifully lit, outdoor cocktail hour with a live jazz quartet playing from the onlooking gazebo. Dinner moved guests inside Giracci's barn, where auctioneer, Nick Arnette, helped end the evening with a rousing live auction. By the end of the evening, $137,112 was raised to benefit Friendly Center's ongoing work to support Orange County children and families in crisis.

Students from Friendly Center's after-school program, The Power of Me, were on-hand for the evening's program to share of their experience at Friendly Center, including trips to the Hilbert Museum and Knott's Berry Farm. A definitive highlight of the evening came when the students shared of their recent activity on entrepreneurship and displayed the prototypes, live on stage, that were created as a result of the lesson.

Sponsors of the gala included Chapman University, Cummins & White LLP, The Sharon D. Lund Foundation, LPA Design Studios, Orange County Department of Education, Buchalter, Farmer & Merchants Bank, HydroPoint, United Business Bank, Vito & Renee Canuso, and Ken & Gisela Meier. Elected officials in attendance included Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the Fourth District Supervisor, Doug Chaffee; City of Orange Mayor, Mark Murphy; City of Buena Park Councilmembers, Connor Trout and Susan Sonne; and Orange Unified School District Board Trustees, Kris Erickson and Kathy Moffatt.

Friendly Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing free programs and services for low-income families and individuals in Orange County through its Community Resource Centers. Friendly Center offers a comprehensive one-stop-shop for services in the areas of stability and skill-building to nurture self-sufficiency and prevent homelessness before it starts. Friendly Center's work in the community is made possible through the help of its supporters and volunteers. To learn more visit www.friendlycenter.org.

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