The atmosphere was brought to life through food and drinks created especially for the evening. Bolay returned as the Official Catering Sponsor of the evening, preparing the passed hors d’oeuvres and tasting stations. New Hospitality Sponsor, Trophy Room, provided the “Trophy Mule” Welcome Cocktail and the open bar for the evening.
The new restaurant and lounge, located in Wellington, Florida, also presented guests with a “key” to the Official After-Party at their location, offering a complimentary drink to Gala guests. Thanks to Mark Edward Partners Insurance, guests were encouraged to celebrate safely with complementary UBER rides. The décor and interactive elements throughout the night embodied the “Sweet 16” theme. Cascading balloons, party favors presented by new sponsor CaptiveOne and Noëlle Floyd, and a giant piñata set the scene. Jenny Oz Events sponsored a colorful, eye-popping candy bar for all guests to enjoy. Christy’s Bakery sponsored a cupcake tower, with artfully decorated cupcakes spiraling up a six-foot display.
The Horseware Photo Booth, filled with props and an interactive wall, allowed guest to memorialize the night. Additionally, Voltaire Design returned as sponsor of the “Gift Wall”, where participants could purchase their own gift tag to sign, signifying the gift and impact they were creating at the JustWorld projects. Executive Director Mei Mei Newsome took the stage to highlight the main purpose of the night – to impress the impact JustWorld is making. Newsome shared, “This year alone we are caring for and educating more than 7,000 of the most vulnerable children in Guatemala, Honduras, Cambodia, and now the United States. The numbers speak for themselves – 270,000 meals were served last year and 220,000 the year before.” She explained that for most of the children served, this is their only access to food.”
Last year during the Fifteenth Annual JustWorld Gala, Newsome made the announcement that JustWorld would fund their first domestic project with StoryBook Treasures at Pioneer Park Elementary in Belle Glade, Florida. StoryBook Treasures Inc. (SBT) is on a mission to increase literacy for our nation's children. It has created a revolutionary program to change the lives of children through books. SBT's unique program is implemented within a school setting by the classroom teacher; children learn essential reading skills and have the unique opportunity to build a home library with the program's books and supplemental materials. Newsome explained that the statistics on Belle Glade are staggering. Palm Beach County is the wealthiest county in Florida. However, just thirty miles away, the per capita income in Belle Glade is just $11,000 and ninety percent of the town is economically disadvantaged. She went on to describe how youth in the area are struggling with reading, which hinders academic success.
Newsome announced that thanks to JustWorld and its supporters, K-3rd graders living in Palm Beach County now have a supplemental reading program, helping to tackle barriers to learning and provide access to a better education. Steven Wilde and Justin Paul, returned to emcee this year's event, leading the "Call to Action" to raise funds to support the very cause Mei Mei Newsome described; lifechanging education for children at the JustWorld domestic and international projects. JustWorld Founder and Board President, Jessica Newman, was welcomed on stage with a round of applause as she shared with the audience significant benchmarks achieved by the organization, including uniting thousands of equestrians from around the world to provide children from the most underserved communities with a better life.
Newman then went on to announce the JustWorld Founder’s Leg Up Awards recognizing outstanding JustWorld Ambassadors, volunteers and partners who demonstrated exemplary efforts in giving children in impoverished communities a “leg up” to a brighter future. This award was presented to Angela Covert, Gerald Kuh, Isabelle Sepulchre, Kristine Semrau, Lou-Andrea Callewaert, Marian Ehlers, Maude Boulanger-Bouchard, Nora Fedoryak, Palm Beach Masters Series, and Zoë McQuillan. After the on-stage presentations and close of the live auction, guests took to the dancefloor led by DJ Theo and saxophone player Bismarck. The organization thanks sponsors, volunteers, supporters and newcomers to the event and to the organization