The Highline College Foundation’s Virtual Spring Gala is coming up Thursday, April 29.
Registration is still open for the Foundation’s annual event, held virtually for the first time this year after having to be cancelled in 2020.
The event will hold live speaker presentations, as well as both a live and silent auction. It will be hosted on OneCause, a fundraising event software platform that will allow the gala’s presentation, auctions, and live chat to be viewed simultaneously from one screen.
General admission registration will remain open through April 23, with tickets costing $25 each. 150 out of the Foundation’s goal of 200 attendees have already signed up.
Admission to the pre-party VIP Experience, a tailored cocktail-crafting event led by Seattle bartender Christina Buenaventura, however, has sold out.
Included with general admission will be one of the Foundation’s “Gala in a Box” packages, available for drive-through pickup from Highline’s campus April 28 and April 29. These will contain a bottle of red wine, a stemless wine glass with the Thunderbird logo, as well as several other promotional items and “sweet treats.”
The gala’s silent auction will begin prior to the main event, opening to registrants this Saturday, April 24. 35 silent auction items will be up for purchase.
Bidding will continue through to the main event at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, when the live auction will be held. Items available will include a set of Terrace Club Mariners tickets along with VIP parking and table service, and a three-night stay at the Roslyn Ridge Activity Center in Kittitas County.
Josh Gerstman, the Foundation’s executive director, said the funds raised will go directly to the Foundation in support of student assistance resources.
“Our primary focus is on expanding resources for student support for enrollment and emergencies,” Gerstman said. “These are flexible funds we have been using when students apply for emergency academic assistance to pay for tuition, books and supplies, […] and to respond to emerging needs and innovative projects that are aimed at keeping students enrolled and on track for their degrees and programs.”
While the event’s goal is to raise funds to support Highline students, Gertsman said it will also be a time for the community to join together and celebrate despite having spent the past year apart.
“We will be pulling photos posted on social media using the hashtag #hcfgala21,” he said. “We encourage you to interact with us from the comfort of your at-home party. Just because we are not in one room does not mean that we are not celebrating together.”
To register for the event and access more information, visit the Foundation’s webpage.