CREATING HOPE
Pictured above is our master of ceremonies, Drew A. Gagner, MBA, Vice President & Chief Philanthropy Officer of the Dominican Hospital Foundation. This 45-minute experience, produced by Sullivan Productions with special thanks to WalconMedia, included 28 individuals, 15 video segments, 6 sponsor highlights, and 30 music selections!
Transforming the Annual Holidays D’Eleganz into the Light of Hope 2020
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or more than 30 years, the Dominican Hospital Foundation has organized its annual holiday event, the Holidays D’Eleganz, to raise funds, recognize donors and medical providers, and bring Santa Cruz County community members together for an evening of fun, fellowship, and fancy dress. In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation found a new way to transform the annual event and unite the community with the Light of Hope virtual experience. “It was a real challenge trying to organize the Light of Hope event during the pandemic, but we had a great team working on it,” says Chris Maffia, member of the event committee and the Women of Wellness (WoW) Council. “We all really missed seeing each other in person, but it was still nice to meet on a virtual basis, and do something to benefit Dominican Hospital.”
Chris has helped to organize the Foundation’s annual holiday event since it began in 1987 and has served as its chair several times. While helping to put together the auctions, fashion shows, and decorations of galas past, Chris made lifetime friendships all while benefitting Dominican. “I still have one of the napkin rings from the first gala I helped with. We made them all by hand out of decorated toilet-paper rolls. Everyone who was involved was so talented and creative. And we all were doing it because of our love of the hospital,” says Chris. Despite the gala going virtual in 2020, the community showed tremendous support for Dominican Hospital's new Wellness Center with more than 40 local sponsors and $325,000+ raised. Whether this year’s holiday fundraiser is virtual or in person, Chris will be there to help. “My heart belongs to the hospital,” she says.
The Light of Hope 2020 event program is available to watch here: supportdominican.org/events/holidays-deleganz
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