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Date: 10/27/2020
CHICOPEE – It’s undeniable that COVID-19 has had an effect on every part of the community. Each year the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club hosts its annual gala fundraiser filled with fancy cocktails, a catered dinner, and sneakers-required attire. The event usually hosts 300-plus people, all participating in a silent and live auction, with the proceeds directly benefiting the club. This year, however, the gala will transform to a drive through occasion to keep everyone safe.
Presented by Chicopee Savings Charitable Foundation and Westfield Bank, the “Gala on the Go” fundraiser will take place on Nov. 6 between 6 and 8 p.m. at 580 Meadow St.. Each ticket is $50 and includes the opportunity to drive through the decorated Boys and Girls Club space and pick up an individual dessert by Log Rolling, plus a mini bottle of champagne or wine. In the comfort of their own home, guests will then find a link to a short presentation to watch about the club. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bgcchicopee.org until Oct. 30.
The Boys and Girls Club will be decorated by CJC productions and will give guests the opportunity to tour the space where many local kids find a safe place to go. It will feature TV screens, a decorated building, highlights of the members, and recognition of Eileen Hurley with their prestigious Donald & Lois Prescott Founders Award. This award gives recognition to people of the community for their support and interest in the mission of the club and its members.
Lynn Morrissette, marketing and development Director of the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club said, “We’ll kind of make it a little bit more than a Zoom call. It will have the feel of a gala as people come and drive through.”
The fundraiser will also feature an online auction. You do not need to buy a ticket to participate in the bidding. Auction items can be found on www.biddingowl.com beginning Oct. 30 and will range from jewelry, to outdoor furniture, to gift baskets from area vendors. All proceeds will directly benefit the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club.
The gala is usually the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club’s largest fundraising event. Despite the difficulties with COVID, the club hopes that the drive through will be just as successful.
"In order for us to continue to provide quality programs for the youth in the city, we really need to focus on fundraising and getting in as much as we can even though it’s a hard time right now,” said Morrissette.
The Chicopee Boys and Girls Club hopes to be back to its regularly scheduled gala next year, but for now, they invite you to “skip the event and go right to dessert!”