There are evenings you attend, and there are evenings that stay with you. On Friday, May 29, the 5th Annual Hopes & Dreams Gala was the second kind.
More than 650 guests filled the Monarch Room at Saint John’s Resort, and by the time the night was over, together we had raised over $600,000 for the members and families of Living and Learning Enrichment Center. Six hundred thousand dollars. We are still catching our breath.
Numbers like that don’t happen on their own. They happen because a room full of people decided, all at once, that a more inclusive world is worth building. That kind of generosity is humbling, and it is the reason every program we run gets to keep growing.
A room that knew how to celebrate
From the first moment, the energy was unmistakable. Our emcee, Monica “Mic” Curtis, owned the stage with warmth and wit, guiding the evening with the kind of ease that makes 650 people feel like one community. The Eagle Jazz Band set the tone during the reception, strolling magicians worked the crowd, and the conversations flowed as easily as the laughter.
And then there was Rachelle Vartanian. Our founder didn’t simply speak; she opened her heart. She shared the story of how Living and Learning began, what it has become, and the people it exists for. By the time she finished, the room understood exactly what their support makes possible. She captivated everyone, and reminded us why we are all here.
The artists who stopped the room
One of the most joyful parts of the night happened away from the stage, at the artist displays, where guests met the people behind the work.
Nick Bair brings animals to life across eight different media. Logan G’s architectural drawings make a building feel three-dimensional on the page. Alex Ham-Kucharski, founder of AHK Pottery & Co., found his medium in clay. Sara Sturtevant paints every single day as she builds the independent life she is working toward.
These are working artists with their own practices, their own commissions, and their own voices. Watching them talk with guests about their work, and watching guests fall in love with that work and take a piece home, was a reminder of what Living and Learning is really about: talent, seen and celebrated. The conversations that happened at those tables were every bit as meaningful as the sales.
Honoring the people who lift us up
The evening also gave us the chance to recognize five remarkable award recipients whose belief in this mission shows up in everything they do:
- Michael Moscone Humble Heart Award — Donald and Marilyn Price
- Heart of Community Award — Continental, Continental Refresh
- Heart of Gold Award — Vicki Cooper
- Heart and Soul Award — Kyle Bruce
- The Joined Hearts Award — City of Novi
To each of them, thank you. You make this community stronger.
The part guests talk about on the drive home
The Variety Show is a Hopes & Dreams tradition, and this year was no exception. Our members rehearsed for weeks, cheered each other through every note, and then took the stage in front of the people who love them most. What the audience watched was not a production. It was proof. The full cast closing out together on “Reach” was the kind of moment that stays with you long after the lights come up.
From there, the night kept going. The MJ Diamonds jewelry raffle, a spirited live and silent auction filled with extraordinary items, and dancing upstairs with FiftyAmpFuse carried the celebration well into the evening.
To everyone who showed up
None of this happens without our sponsors, whose support set the foundation for the entire evening, from our presenting sponsor, Linda Giglio, to the many businesses, families, and friends who stood behind this mission. None of it happens without the people who gave items, gave time, and gave so others could thrive. And none of it happens without you, the community that keeps choosing to believe in human potential.
This year we celebrated Will, Dave, John, Rosie, Madison, Grace, and so many more. Now we get to go find 1,250 more stories like theirs.
Thank you for being part of this one.
