It’s time to celebrate! The Freedom House is hosting their first annual Formal Winter Gala at the Lone Moose Lodge on Funny River Road this Friday at 6:00 p.m.
According to Director Jennifer Waller, the idea of a Gala came up about at the House’s last board meeting. The Freedom House works entirely off of donations, and had been seeing a downward trend within their budget. The group needed a way to help bring that spark back.
When the concept of a gala came up, everyone loved the idea, and quickly got to work.
“So we literally talked about it about five or six weeks ago, but it together in a week and then so we’ve only been advertising for a month, not even a month, and we’re going to be sold out. It’s an opportunity to to dress up in our small community and come together, obviously for a pretty powerful cause,” says Waller.
This event does require pre-purchased tickets, and they’re almost sold out, with only five tickets remaining as of this Wednesday! The ticket does include catering, as well as a few auctions.
“And then we’re going to have some live auction items, some silent auction items and some residents sharing their testimonies and stories of coming out of addiction,” says Waller.
Waller says that they have received a bunch of auction items through donations, such as a paid fishing trip, desserts from dessert companies, beautiful wall-hangings, and even a handmade quilt from a sponsor in the community.
In regards to the speeches, Waller personally asked past or current residents if they would be willing to share their story, and how sobriety is possible.
“It’s residents that basically are going to share what Freedom House did for them in their journey to recovery and transitioning back out into our communities. And it’s just been so amazing to see these men and women get their kids back and get a house and get a job and be productive members of society,” said Waller.
So what are you waiting for? Hurry and get your ticket to the First Annual Formal Winter Gala, and help celebrate the accomplishments of those in recovery!