{"id":134239,"date":"2021-02-10T12:24:51","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T17:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/?p=134239"},"modified":"2021-02-10T12:24:51","modified_gmt":"2021-02-10T17:24:51","slug":"meet-our-2021-gala-chair-renay-stover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/meet-our-2021-gala-chair-renay-stover\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet our 2021 Gala Chair Renay Stover!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2021 “i have a Voice” Gala Chair Renay Stover can’t wait to toast GiGi’s on March 6, 2021.<\/p><\/div>\n

Introducing our 2021 Gala Chair, Renay Stover<\/a>! As you may know, the Gala is our most important annual fundraiser, during which we celebrate the progress of our participants, recognize and thank our supporters, and also raise the critical funds needed to help us continue offering FREE programs to the Down syndrome community.<\/p>\n

Themed \u201cA Party on Top, Pajamas on Bottom,\u201d this year\u2019s Gala will be a VIRTUAL event on Saturday March 6, 2021, at 7 p.m., broadcast at gigisplayhouse.org\/Hillsborough\/gala<\/a> and on our Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We recently sat down with Renay to learn more about what is sure to be a unique and inspirational evening for us all!<\/p>\n

Q:\u00a0 Let\u2019s get right to the point: a virtual gala? How is that going to work?
\n<\/strong>Renay:\u00a0 I know, I know, it\u2019s certainly not what we\u2019re used to. But I assure you, this year\u2019s gala will have all the cool stuff and elements you have come to love about our past galas.\u00a0 As for how it will work, there is no fee to attend, no tickets to buy. Viewers just need to go to gigisplayhouse.org\/Hillsborough\/gala<\/a> or our Facebook<\/a> on Saturday, March 6, at 7 p.m. to watch from the comfort of their living room sofa, in their fancy tops and pajama bottoms!<\/p>\n

We are putting together really nice VIP baskets<\/a> (with drinks, treats, and goodies) for attendees to purchase and enjoy during the event if they wish! Throughout the approximate 45-minute program, attendees will hear from great speakers and also have the opportunity to donate to GiGi\u2019s and bid on a broad selection of baskets in our silent auction. We have some excited new items this year, and something for everyone’s interest. It\u2019s going to be a great time!<\/p>\n

Q: What else can we expect?
\n<\/strong>Renay: Get ready to see some of your favorite people dressed in theme. We will have an awesome emcee, whom we will reveal to you soon. It’s a surprise!<\/p>\n

We will have inspiring updates from our participants, live entertainment by award-winning musician Bruce Tunkel, announcing our 2021 honorees, and an energizing update from our headquarters. We will also have a fun contest going on throughout the program where attendees can win a Roman Jewelers gift card, but you have to watch to find out how to win. And I\u2019m personally looking forward to hearing from our keynote speaker, GiGi\u2019s parent Laura Nacamuli.<\/p>\n

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Renay with program participants Pratik (l) and Honor (r) at the 2018 gala.<\/p><\/div>\n

Q: Gala Chair is a big role! What made you want to take this on?
\n<\/strong>Renay: Taking on the role of Gala chair is daunting, but I wanted to do everything I could to help make this virtual gala a success. I knew that the Board was looking for someone to fill the role, and I felt that this was the year to take on a bigger role than volunteering at the actual event like I have before.<\/p>\n

Q: What are the biggest challenges with putting this event together?
\n<\/strong>Renay: The biggest challenge is the unknown of it all since it\u2019s the first time we are doing a virtual event like this. In past years, we’ve been able to look at the previous years and have seen what works and what needs tweaking. We\u2019re basically trying to incorporate things people have come to know and love about the traditional gala (participants, auctions, inspiration) and moving it to a new platform.<\/p>\n

Another big challenge this year is securing event sponsors<\/a> and auction donations<\/a>, since so many businesses have been hit hard by COVID. We appreciate all the support being offered so far and welcome event sponsors and basket donations!<\/p>\n

Q: What are your goals for the gala and what are you most excited about?
\n<\/strong>Renay: My main goal is for as many people as possible to tune in and hear the message of GiGi\u2019s, especially because it\u2019s a virtual program and we have the potential for a greater reach. \u00a0I would also love to see the first virtual gala to be one of the most successful programs to date. I\u2019m really hoping to raise enough money to fund another year of free programs for our participants.<\/p>\n

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Renay with some of our Fantastic Friends having fun at the Playhouse.<\/p><\/div>\n

As for what I\u2019m most excited about, I am so happy that the message of GiGi\u2019s will be accessible to so many. There\u2019s no pressure to get dressed up or find a sitter. Now everyone can simply kick back with one of our VIP gift baskets and watch from the comfort of home. I\u2019m excited for everyone to see how adaptable and resilient GiGi\u2019s is.<\/p>\n

Q: Sounds like GiGi\u2019s is very lucky to have you on board! How long have you been volunteering with GiGi\u2019s?
\n<\/strong>Renay: I\u2019ve been with GiGi\u2019s since 2016, when Liz invited me to volunteer for a Fantastic Friends program. Since then, I\u2019ve helped every year with the Gala, 5k, and multiple other programs.<\/p>\n

Q: What impact has GiGi\u2019s had on you?
\n<\/strong>Renay: GiGi\u2019s has encouraged me to have a brighter and more positive outlook on everything. Every time I walk into the playhouse, I\u2019m greeted with a roomful of happy faces, excited to do whatever we have planned for the evening. I enjoy spending time around the families at GiGi\u2019s and seeing the energy and hope they bring into the room. I\u2019m inspired by the participants and their determination to overcome whatever challenges they face, and how they are encouraged every step of the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introducing our 2021 Gala Chair, Renay Stover! As you may know, the Gala is our most important annual fundraiser, during which we celebrate the progress of our participants, recognize and thank our supporters, and also raise the critical funds needed to help us continue offering FREE programs to the Down syndrome community. Themed \u201cA Party…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpo365_audiences":[],"wpo365_private":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[49,6,765,41,36,3,7,23],"class_list":["post-134239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-donate","tag-down-syndrome","tag-gala","tag-generation-g","tag-gigis-playhouse","tag-gigis-playhouse-hillsborough","tag-i-have-a-voice-gala","tag-volunteering"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134239\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}