{"id":552,"date":"2016-02-05T18:29:32","date_gmt":"2016-02-05T23:29:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/?p=552"},"modified":"2024-10-28T12:18:02","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T16:18:02","slug":"gala-planning-fun-for-the-hillsborough-playhouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/gala-planning-fun-for-the-hillsborough-playhouse\/","title":{"rendered":"Gala Planning Fun for the Hillsborough Playhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Family & Friends enjoy the 2015 i have a voice gala<\/p><\/div>\n

After talking and planning for the last 11 months, it is almost time for Hillsborough\u2019s 2nd<\/sup> i have a voice<\/em> Gala.\u00a0 It was almost a year ago when I was first introduced to GiGi\u2019s Playhouse from my good friend and fellow board member, Kim Kirwan who invited me to the Inaugural Hillsborough Gala.\u00a0 My husband and I were so inspired by that evening that I couldn\u2019t wait to be apart of the incredible GiGi\u2019s team.\u00a0 So 11 months later, a board member, a trip to Hoffman Estates; here I am the co-chair to 2016 Gala for GiGi\u2019s Hillsborough. What a journey it has been and incredible experience.<\/p>\n

The road to the Gala is definitely one to never underestimate; it is exciting, exhausting, and stressful at times, but most of all it is rewarding.\u00a0\u00a0 As I called and\/or walked into businesses procuring donations and sponsorships, there is one thing everyone says to me as I leave them, \u201cthank you for what you do.\u201d\u00a0 I have also received hugs as well, and follow-up questions of \u201chow can I get involved.\u201d\u00a0 This is what GiGi\u2019s is about.<\/p>\n

\"Playhouse

Playhouse participant Jason displays his painting during the live auction.<\/p><\/div>\n

When our Site Coordinator Liz asked me to initially write something about the Hillsborough Playhouse\u2019s experience in planning the Gala, I was trying to figure out what to focus on first. Then I realized the best way to write about our planning experience is to ask our core team. First I started with my co-chair, Carolyn Yaccarino, she has been putting her heart and soul into planning the Gala for the second year in a row. She is amazing, and makes gathering donations from businesses look incredibly easy.\u00a0 When I first asked her what she liked best about planning the Gala, it wasn\u2019t the taste testing, which was good at the Heldrich Hotel, or seeing the incredible number of donations being sent to us, it was \u201cCommunity.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 The thing that Carolyn truly loved most was being able to go out throughout our community to meet new and old people and talk about GiGi\u2019s, to share her joy and love for the incredible participants that we hope to help with the money that we raise.\u00a0\u00a0 I think sometimes people underestimate their communities, and don\u2019t realize there are some amazing people out there who love to help but don\u2019t always know how and sometimes a small visit by someone like Carolyn or a participant can brighten their day or change their future by inviting them to visit GiGi\u2019s and get involved.<\/p>\n

\"Playhouse

Playhouse participant Alexa with friends during dinner.<\/p><\/div>\n

Now Carolyn is not the only person working on the Gala, no way, Gala planning needs many people, our site coordinator Liz Kepniss for one has a very important role.\u00a0 With Liz\u2019s help we are able to track our donations and keep us organized with her great spreadsheets. She is also fortunate enough to be at the Playhouse daily and be a part of the programs. She told me she loves to the listen to participants talk about how excited they are for \u201cthe party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Board

Board President Erin Morris addresses everyone.<\/p><\/div>\n

As I scrolled through my hundreds of text messages, not all Gala related, but a good number of them are, I found my favorite one called \u201cGala Gurus.\u201d\u00a0 I LOVE IT!\u00a0 Created by Liz, this sums up our team.\u00a0\u00a0 As Erin Morris, our President told me, she loves the teamwork that is involved in planning not only the Gala, but also the programs for the Playhouse.\u00a0 Between the board members, the Site Coordinator, our volunteers and most importantly our participants, the teamwork that takes place is just astounding.\u00a0 It gives a new meaning to the term community with the special bonds that have been created in making the 2016 Gala even more amazing and inspirational then Hillsborough\u2019s first one.<\/p>\n

Maureen Madden
\ni have a voice <\/em>2016 Gala
\nBoard Member\/Co-Gala Chair
\nGiGi’s Playhouse Hillsborough<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After talking and planning for the last 11 months, it is almost time for Hillsborough\u2019s 2nd i have a voice Gala.\u00a0 It was almost a year ago when I was first introduced to GiGi\u2019s Playhouse from my good friend and fellow board member, Kim Kirwan who invited me to the Inaugural Hillsborough Gala.\u00a0 My husband…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4,6,36,3,7],"class_list":["post-552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-central-new-jersey","tag-down-syndrome","tag-gigis-playhouse","tag-gigis-playhouse-hillsborough","tag-i-have-a-voice-gala"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552","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=552"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/hillsborough\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}