View all of the pictures from the evening by clicking here

The Casey Cares Foundation’s Stardust Gala was a true red carpet experience on Saturday, March 29th at the Grand Lodge, Bonnie Blink in Hunt Valley.  Over 370 guests stepped into a limo and out onto a 100 foot red carpet to awaiting “paparazzi”, autograph seekers, and impersonators.   Guest spotted celebrities Jermaine Crawford who played “Dukie” Weems on the 4th and 5th seasons of HBO’s “The Wire”; FOX 45 entertainment reporter, Candace Dold;  morning personality, Sarah Jacobs from 106.5 WWMX-FM;  Batman, Larry Robinson; “Victoria and David Beckham”; “Faith Hill and Tim McGraw” ; and “Austin Powers”. The sounds of Lovecraft’s jazz echoed in the lobby as guests perused auction items, sipped Moet Champagne and tried their hand at winning one of two 1/2 ct. Nelson Coleman diamonds.

Laural Hargadon Make-up Artistry helped guests glam it up as they walked the red carpet.

This year’s Champion of Children Awards went to St. John Properties and 1st Mariner Arena for donating 6 months of office space when the Casey Cares headquarters burned down last summer and for their continued generosity in providing Casey Cares families with hundreds of tickets to shows at their venue respectively.

After dinner, Sue Stuck, a Casey Cares mom, explained how important the charity’s programs have been to her family over the years.  After encouraging guests to continue supporting the Foundation, Sue introduced a video produced by Chosen Media.  As auctioneer Mike Mandish started the live auction, guests bid their hearts out, showing that they truly believed in the Casey Cares mission.  As soon as the presentation ended, guests were on their feet as they danced the night away to Small Miracle and posed for pictures by Ben Michalski Photography.

This year’s event grossed over $100,000 for the families served by Casey Cares.  Long time top sponsors Deutsche Bank, Sons of the American Legion, and Morrison Management Specialists were joined by new sponsor Oshyn, Inc. as Director Sponsors.  Lead Role sponsors included Gil and Marianee Kuta, MedStar Health, Quaker Funds, Mike Nelson, Inno-Pak, American Bank, Iron Mountain, and RDA.  Mike and Ellen DiMayo, Merritt Properties, Legg Mason, BB&T along with US FoodService rounded out our generous sponsor list.

Media sponsors Mix 106.5, Comcast, FOX45, Clear Channel Outdoor and Baltimore Magazine promoted the event while R&R Events, Ultimate Affair and Atlantic Catering made the evening a night to remember with great food and décor.  A special thanks to Graphix Unlimited, Signs by Tomorrow, and Julie Bower Graphic Designer for our printed materials.

The night was a huge success thanks to our many sponsors, board members, donors, volunteers, and of course, the Casey Cares staff!

 

 

Pearls, Feathers, Spats, and Hats decked the guests on March 24th as supporters turned out in droves for the Seventh Annual Gala.  Attendees were greeted by the sounds of Lovecraft’s smooth jazz and the Loyola Dance Team posed as, or course, flappers and gangsters.  Gala Chair, Marcus Aiello, in Charlie Chaplin garb, greeted guests as dancers from Charm City Swing completed the ambiance.  Small Miracle, the Casey Cares house band, got the crowd on their feet and brought smiles to the faces of over 350 guests after a fabulous meal provided by Atlantic Caterers and decorated by Dove Linen and The Ultimate Affair.

As usual, the highlight of the evening was the moving speeches by two of Casey Cares families.  Mary and Darlene, mothers to two of Casey Cares’ children, touched the audience by describing their personal experiences with childhood cancer and Hodgkin’s disease. Not a dry eye was in the room after they finished thanking Casey Cares Foundation and our generous donors for their support through their life-altering journeys.  Our “Champion of Children” award recipients, Feld Entertainment and Volpe Systems Group, both of whom have been supporting the foundation for years, knew they were helping the right organization after a touching slide show by Amanda Valcik.

This year’s event raised over $85,000 for the families served by Casey Cares Foundation. 

Our top sponsors Deutsche Bank Alex.Brown, Sons of the American Legion, and Orchid Suites were keys to the record sponsorships this year.  Also contributing to the success of the event were American Bank, Morrison Management Specialists, and Gil and Marianne Kuta.  Tenacity Group, Mike and Ellen DiMayo, MedStar Health, Merriit Properties, RDA Corporation, US FoodService Manassas, Frito Lay, Inc, BB&T, and Spears/Votta & Associates were also generous contributors this year.

WBFF FOX45 and Comcast did a great job promoting our event again this year, with David Hung designing the billboard displayed by Clear Channel Outdoor.  Signs by Tomorrow, Graphix Unlimited, and Stepforward Creative pitched in, donating the design and printing of our gala signs and invitations. Ben Michalski memorialized the event by providing spectacular photos! 

Thanks again to all of the sponsors and tireless volunteers for making this event possible, you truly are the cat’s meow.  We welcome your suggestions and are already recruiting volunteers for next year’s Gala, to be held Saturday, March 29th at the same location.

Check out all of the pictures from the event courtesy of Ben Michalski Photography

Pearls Feathers Spats And Hats Casey Cares 2007 Gala

Love, peace and happiness were in the air on March 25th as the Grand Lodge Bonnie Blink again hosted the Sixth Annual Casey Cares Gala. As over 300 guests arrived, they were greeted by emcee Steve Rouse and serenaded by The Rockin’ Elvis’ Jim Godbold. The Loyola Dance Team donated their services as energetic Go Go girls complete with outrageous costumes danced atop dance cubes. Thanks to Dove Linen and Atlantic Caters, the ballroom was a psychedelic rainbow adorned with love beads and peace signs.

The entertainment continued with Small Miracle, again donating their far-out talents, as our band for the evening. Our top sponsors, Deutsche Bank Alex.Brown, Sons of The American Legion, and Morrison Management Specialists, were keys to the success of the evening. “What a fun night, I haven’t danced like that since high school,” said Casey Cares supporter, Cara Stockham.

This year’s event again raised over $45,000 for the children involved with the Casey Cares Foundation. Our media sponsors Fox 45, Comcast, Oldies Radio 1370, and Clear Channel Outdoor did an excellent job in promoting the event through billboards and commercials, leading to the record ticket sales for the event. Also helping with funds raised were sponsors T. Furr and Associates, John B. Levy & Company, MedStar Health, Mike & Ellen DiMayo, US Foodservice Manassas, and Up to Date Laundry.

“Champion of Children” award recipients Questron, Inc., and Justin Polun had as much fun as the rest of the flower children as they were honored for their endless support of the Casey Cares Foundation. Johns Hopkins social worker Diane Rohrer, and Casey Cares mother and son, Darlene and Chris, praised the work that the Foundation does everyday, “Casey Cares is about adding some fun back into the lives of families…about creating happy memories …the good memories start overshadowing the bad memories,” said Darlene during her powerful speech.

As the night continued, guests perused the silent auction that boasted over 100 items including a Dyson Vacuum, spa packages, golf outings, and a two-night stay at the Pierre Four Seasons. Small Miracle played all of our favorite sixties music as the crowd danced, hula hoped, and did the limbo. Miss Maryland, Melissa DiGiulian, crowned our costume contest winners with flower wreaths as the night was coming to an end.

Chris Melkonian spoke for all of us when he said at the event, “Casey Cares is a very nice organization and I am glad to be a part of it.”

Thanks again to all of our bighearted sponsors and tireless volunteers for making this event possible. We welcome your suggestions and are already recruiting volunteers for next year’s Gala, to be held Saturday, March 24, 2007 at the same location.