The Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition’s annual gala will take place on Sunday, Nov. 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Enchantment Resort’s Anasazi Ballroom.
For the event’s theme “A Winter Masquerade,” guests are asked to attend in evening dress with masquerade costumes.
“The public is invited to enjoy a wine and appetizer reception, an elegant dinner, dancing and live and silent auctions featuring vacation packages, dinner parties, a private movie night, dining gift certificates, artwork, jewelry and gift baskets for the holidays including baskets of toys,” the press release stated. “If you are a ‘Bridgerton’ fan, you will especially enjoy the music provided by Skylight City String Quartet from Flagstaff.”
The event is a critical fundraiser for VVMC, as the gala typically provides between 25% and 33% of the organization’s $1.3 million annual operating budget.
“[Fifty-five percent] of all of the operating funds we need in order to help 1,800 people a year [come] from individual donors,” Executive Director Kent Ellsworth said. “Some people think that donations are just fluff. No, that’s the real program. Without donors, we wouldn’t exist, we wouldn’t be able to give anybody rides to medical appointments.”
The coalition’s budget has increased 62.5% from last year because of higher fuel prices, increased driver reimbursement and a roughly 150% increase in demand from Verde Valley residents, who are expected to need rides to between 8,000 and 10,000 medical appointments annually.
“Prior to the [COVID-19] pandemic, we had an annual gala for seven years in a row, and each gala had a different theme,” VVCC associate executive director Linda Clark said. “We’ve had a masquerade theme before, [but] this is the first gala since the 2019 … where we had about 190 people and people raved about it for months after … So our donors are ready to come back and get together and celebrate and help support our programs.”
Clark credits three successful online fundraising campaigns for keeping the organization solvent in the absence of the gala.
Guests can expect live music to begin playing upon their arrival at 5 p.m., with a wine and appetizer reception to follow as they peruse the silent auction block, which will offer a variety of goods and several art pieces in different mediums from Sedona-area artists such as Lorraine L. Fexas and Michael Trcic.
“Then everybody is seated, and they enjoy their dinner and music plays off and on throughout dinner,” Clark said. “We have a charity auctioneer, who makes announcements, because folks can still get up and bid on the silent auction items until the end of dinner. Right after dinner we start our formal program with the live auction. We usually have about eight to 10 items in the live auction, from artwork to vacation packages to local experiences.”
The auction will be followed by a video package highlighting the stories of some of the Verde Valley residents who are served by VVCC. The organization has been assisting an increasing number of couples who are aging in place together.
“We’re helping older adults as they age in place and adults of all ages who suffer from chronic health conditions live independently,” Clark said. “In the gala video, we’ll showcase one of our neighbors who is 101 years old and will be 102 soon. She is a hoot. Our mission is to help adults live as long as they can in their homes and communities of choice with supportive services we provide.”
Former board member Christine Trcic is still inspired by the organization’s mission, which is why she and her husband, Sedona artist Michael Trcic, decided to donate one of his oil paintings to the silent auction.
“It’s always been a charity that’s been near and dear to my heart, to help the elderly age in place,” Christine Trcic said. “This particular organization, they just have it all together. They’re professional and organized and they perform miracles. They serve so many people in the Verde Valley, and their services are so direly needed. They’re a model for the rest of the United States as to how to run this type of organization.”
The event menu is currently being finalized and the ticket covers participants’ drinks, including the bar for mixed drinks.
“It’s just a way for everybody to get together and have a great deal of fun,” Ellsworth said. “The last one was in 2019. Now this one will have more excitement because everybody’s getting together after that long pause and ready to have a wonderful holiday party and make a real difference for all the people who need our help.”
Individual tickets are $150 and table sponsorship starts at $2,000. Tickets can be purchased online at vvcaregivers.org/annual-gala. For more information, contact Linda Clark at lindaclark@vvcaregivers.org or (928) 204-1238 ext. 8104.
