2020 Bridge of Love Gala

2020 Bridge of Love Virtual Gala

PHOTOS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank all our sponsors who are represented below. Please see who they are, because they have supported the very needed work of Bessie’s Hope for years. We thank all our auction donors who were beautifully represented on our Bolder Events site for two weeks. We thank all of you who purchased auction items and who made donations. We thank our amazing auction chairperson, Nancy Rawls, who took the photos and wrote the descriptions for the auction site, and who was responsible for making sure we had a great and diverse array of items, and who has kept everything organized, including the delivery of all the items. We thank our wonderful event committee and volunteers. Please see their names below. We thank Tony David and WildeFire, who provided their musical talent and time to create a virtual party! We thank our charismatic auctioneer/emcee, Eric Goodman, our production/auction company, Bolder Events, and Jeremy Golden of Graham Golden Technologies for helping us ensure that we presented a professional and entertaining virtual event.

Thank you all for joining us via your computers and televisions. It was exciting to have gala attendees from all over the country! Thank you to those of you who hosted “watch parties”. We have photos from a few of those on the event web page. If others of you would like to share photos of your gatherings, please email them to linda@bessieshope.org. We will add those, as well!

Bessie’s Hope has focused our work for over 26 years on nursing home elders. We have brought ongoing relationships, intergenerational magic, joy, love, respect, hugs, laughter and listening ears to hear all the wonderful stories. All who support Bessie’s Hope help us shine a light on these beautiful human beings, who have built the very communities we all enjoy. Tragic that they are truly the forgotten segment of our society.

Below are photos from Zane’s Italian Bistro, which was the remote site for the two award presentations. Michelle Rahn presented our posthumous Community Angel Award for Gayle Novak, who was the chairperson of this gala until she suddenly and unexpectedly passed away last fall. Her husband, Ed Novak accepted the award, which was a large and beautifully framed certificate from Star Registry. Bessie’s Hope co-founders, Sharron and Linda, named a star for Gayle, and it is registered as Dazzling Gayle. Ed and Zane, Gayle’s son, generously hosted a watch party in a banquet room at the restaurant. With everyone socially distanced, they were able to watch on the large TV, while having a wonderful dinner.

Our 2020 Community Angel Award recipient, Rosalina Diecidue, had COVID and was quarantined at home. Her friends, Laura Shipman and Lori McDermott, accepted the award for Rosalina and read her beautiful speech.”

Visiting before the show at board member, Ann O’Neill and her husband Michael’s, watch party!

Yay for technology! Ann O’Neill projected from her cell phone, as pictured, onto the big screen for the watch party not only at her home but for her guests across the country! Tony David and WildeFire were performing for the event.

Lots of food at the O’Neill watch party!

Eric Goodman, auctioneer and emcee for the gala, was appearing with all his wonderful charisma and energy on screens across the country!

Board member and event sponsor, Susan Markley, hosted a watch party in a backyard setting. Lots of food, laughter, wine, and bidding galore on auction items.