Community Bulletin
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BUCKHANNON — Appalachian Impact will celebrate its fifth annual gala this fall with an evening of music, dancing, food and fundraising planned for Oct. 17 at The Opera House. This year’s theme, “Reach for the Stars,” reflects Appalachian Impact’s mission of helping young people build hope, discover opportunities and reach their potential.
Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. with the event beginning at 7 p.m. Semi-formal attire is encouraged. Guests can enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres from CJ Maggie’s, a cash bar, music from a DJ and dancing throughout the evening. The event will also feature silent auctions, games and prizes, including a variety of themed auction baskets.
Ticket sales are currently around halfway to capacity, and Appalachian Impact has seen strong support from both individual attendees and local businesses.
“There’s been a lot more individual ticket sales, but there are a lot of businesses investing in it this year,” said Julie McCourt, program director for Appalachian Impact. “So I think the environment of it feels a little bit different.”
The annual gala provides an opportunity for community members to come together while supporting Appalachian Impact’s work with young people throughout the region. Through one-to-one mentoring, after-school programs and The Adventure Center, the group works to build hope for at-risk students and provide spaces where young people can learn, connect and grow.
Proceeds from this year’s gala will help establish permanent staff positions, grow the scholarship fund and support the hiring of summer staff members. Funds will also help support efforts to expand programming for middle-school-aged students, an area Appalachian Impact is hoping to grow in the coming year.
Appalachian Impact currently operates an after-school program at West Virginia Wesleyan College. As students who have participated in the program have gotten older, McCourt said there has been a desire among some of them to continue participating after they reach middle school.
“We’re really trying to expand that after-school program to include middle-school-age kids,” McCourt said. “A lot of the elementary school kids we’ve had in the program weren’t staying in middle school, and they want to stay.”
That interest has helped shape some of Appalachian Impact’s plans for the future, including efforts to create more opportunities specifically designed for middle-school students.
Another piece of that work is the development of a teen space at the group’s Main Street property. The space is intended to give young people in the middle-school age range a free place to spend time, connect with friends and take part in activities.
“We’re trying to make it like a fun, free hangout space for middle-school-age kids, just to hang out,” said Kelsey Luterek, program coordinator for Appalachian Impact.
The space could also give older children a place to go when their younger siblings are participating in programs at the Adventure Center, but they have reached an age where those activities are no longer a good fit.
Appalachian Impact has already held meetings in the space and is working toward getting the teen area up and functioning. McCourt said expanding programming for middle-school students and creating spaces where they feel welcome is an important next step for the group.
Community support will play an important role in making those plans possible. In addition to individual tickets, Appalachian Impact is offering four levels of business sponsorships for this year’s gala.
Platinum sponsorships are $2,500 and include 16 reserved VIP table spots, recognition on table tents and social media, logo and company-name placement on event materials and the event website, verbal recognition during the event and a special gift for attendees. Gold sponsorships are $1,000 and include 10 reserved VIP table spots, event and social media recognition, logo and company-name placement and verbal recognition.
Silver sponsorships are $375 and include six reserved seats, table-tent and social media recognition and logo placement among event sponsors. Bronze sponsorships are $250 and include four reserved seats along with table-tent and social media recognition.
Individual tickets are $50 while couples tickets are $90. Business sponsorships for inclusion in the gala’s advertising materials are requested by mid-September, while individual tickets will remain available until the event reaches capacity.
Tickets for the fifth annual “Reach for the Stars” gala are available for purchase online through Appalachian Impact’s event page. Businesses interested in paying by check can contact McCourt at julie@appalachianimpact.org.
