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Date: 10/17/2023
CHICOPEE — The Boys and Girls Club of Chicopee’s largest fundraiser of the year, the Black Tie & Sneakers Gala, is set to return on Nov. 3.
The 12th annual event will take place at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke.
Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner is at 6:30 p.m.
Marketing & Development Director at the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee Lynn Morrissette said attendees can enjoy a sit-down meal, followed by music from the Ready, Set, Go band at 8 p.m.
There will be a photo booth, cigars and a signature cocktail on the patio.
Attendees can enter to win raffle prizes, along with a live auction of about four to five items, including a trip to Costa Rica.
Gala tickets cost $60 and can be purchased online at bgcchicopee.org, under the event tab.
Morrissette said the event is open to everyone and there is no limit to how many may attend. In past years, the gala has brought in over 300 people, she shared.
All the money will go directly to programs and services for teens and youth at the club.
Morrissette shared that fundraising events — like this one — help the club keep its light on, maintain the property, hire qualified staff and ensure they have the supplies needed for programs.
She said that there has been a great deal of support from the community with sponsors such as PeoplesBank and the Polish Credit Union, to name a few, along with raffle prizes.
The vision of the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee is that success is within every child’s reach. All the youth it serves warrant a safe place to gain knowledge and grow, through mentoring, hope and opportunity.
“We provide before school, after school, school vacations and a summer program for ages 5-18,” said Morrissette.
She continued, “The club provides a safe place for kids in our community to go after school. It’s a place for them to achieve academic success, good character and citizenship and practice a healthy lifestyle. We provide nutrition programs, athletics, homework help, gardening, stem and art programs to name a few.”
Morrissette noted that the club is also bringing back teen nights from 6-8:30 p.m., where hot meals and programs for teens are offered.
On Oct. 20, the club is hosting a kick-off breakfast to launch a capital campaign for a new teen center.