1:1 with Gala Chair Catherine Payne
On the blog this week….we sat down to interview GiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough 2020 Gala Chair Catherine Payne to check in on Gala preparations and see what we can expect this year.
Catherine (center) at the 2019 “i have a Voice” Gala with her daughter Brenna and husband Al.
As you may know, the Gala is our largest and most important annual fundraiser, enabling us to continue offering FREE educational, career-development, social, and therapeutic-based programs to individuals with Down syndrome.
Themed “The Lucky Ones,” this year’s Gala (our 6th!) will be held on Saturday, March 14, at the Bridgewater Marriott. Get your tickets now and join us as we aim to not only exceed our fundraising goals but also to celebrate just how LUCKY we all are to be a part of the Down syndrome community.
Q: Organizing an event like this is no small feat. What motivated or inspired you to take on the role of Gala Chair
Catherine Payne: I’d like to say a weak moment of sanity! (Probably true! Ha ha) The truth is, I would do anything for this group of amazing people. I’m very organized in my professional and personal life, and I had worked on Gala setup for the last few years. When I was asked to take on the role, I felt pretty confident that I could pull it off. When I realized I would also have a team of energized volunteers to assist me, our amazing Site Manager Liz (the mortar who holds us all together), and also with the helpful coaching of the past Gala Chair, I knew we could do it. It really has been a team effort from start to (almost) finish.
Q: What is involved with putting together an event like this?
Catherine: Organization, timing, attention to detail, team coordination, hours of door-knocking, being frustrated by “No’s,” high-fiving to the “Yes’s,”….and, in all honesty, PRAYERS. The timing of this Gala is extremely difficult because planning for it begins during the holidays when it’s difficult to get the attention of sponsors, donors, and volunteers. Once the holidays are over, you really need to be organized and have a strict timeline in place for everything that is needed (venue and dinner details, DJ, sponsors, donors, auction baskets, speakers, planning volunteers, day-of volunteers, etc.) because March sneaks up on you before you know it!
Q: What can attendees look forward to at this year’s event?
Catherine: So much! Excitement. Inclusion. Fun. Camaraderie. Bonding. A focus on gratitude and why we are so lucky. There will be inspiring speeches, which this year will be delivered by participant SIBLINGS. We also have awesome baskets and prizes to bid on, so come ready!
Most important, attendees can expect to see and experience for themselves the wonderful community this is. People who give to Gigi’s but don’t get to meet and socialize with all of these fantastic folks at the Gala are missing out on so much. To experience a night out with a room full of love is not your normal night out. It’s truly magical. Last year was the first year I actually attended a Gala; I usually just did the setup. My husband attended with me, and it was the first GiGi’s function he had been to, so I kind of saw GiGi’s through new eyes. At one point during the night, he made a stunning comment: “The participants have not stopped smiling!” And it’s true. This night is about them. They’re an amazing gift to our whole community! Not everyone is lucky enough to see that, but tonight…this one magical night…everyone attending does see.
Catherine and Brenna working with Tyler in the GiGi’s Playhouse Literacy Tutoring program.
Q: Let’s go back a moment: how long have you been involved with GiGi’s and how did you find us?
Catherine: I found the Playhouse when they marched in the Memorial Day Parade about five years ago. My daughter Brenna, age 10 at the time, said, “We should help them, Mom.” That next fall, I looked them up, discovered that they needed reading tutors (one of our many free services to participants), and Brenna and I both became tutors. Brenna is also a founding member of the Youth Board and the youngest Youth Board member. The Playhouse has really become part of our family.
Q: In what other ways do and your family volunteer?
Catherine: Reading tutoring is our main “job,” but we’ve helped out with the yoga and cooking programs and also pitched in whenever coverage is needed. We’re local to Hillsborough, so we help whenever we can. The most challenging part is volunteering at “2 & Under Playgroup” simply because I can’t ever get my girls to leave the adorable participants without wanting to bring one home! It’s an hour of insane cuteness overload!
Q: What would you say to others who are thinking of volunteering with us?
Catherine: Stop thinking – just go! There are so many ways to be helpful to the Playhouse! Thousands, honestly! If you have time to give, give it. It will be the most rewarding, silly, learning time you will ever give! Every time I’m there, still, I learn something new, experience someone’s first something, or help with a crestfallen attempt that got the “give it one more try” that made it a huge success! There is always, ALWAYS something amazing going on in this place! My words don’t do it justice; you really need to see it for yourself!
As Catherine says, come SEE FOR YOURSELF at the Gala on March 14! Ticket sales close on Sunday, March 8. We will see you there!
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