Spruce Foundation’s Spruce Gala
More than 540 people attended the 6th Annual Spruce Gala on Saturday night at the World Cafe, raising nearly $60,000. The Spruce Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides funding and consultation to charitable groups serving at-risk youth in Philadelphia. Here with event emcee Maria Papadakis and Spruce Foundation co-president Brittni Devereaux are some of those who received this year’s Foundation grants, Alex Gilliam and Stephanie Michel, both of the North Fifth Street Revitalization Project, and Rudy Flesher, of Here’s My Chance.
Below: Stephen Girogio and Erin Garvey.
Below: Ryan Samaniego and Heather Horner.
Below: Guests enjoyed great music and food in the first part of the evening, and at 11:30 p.m., when a DJ hit the stage, some serious dancing began. No one hit the dance floor harder than these two, Jonathan Oriole and Marisa Grasso.
Below: Rachael Brady, David Gloss, CEO of Here’s My Chance, Erica Gloss, consultant at Carelift International, and Jeffrey Levinsohn.
Below: Valerie Johnson, development officer, Valley Youth House. Their mission is to provide prevention and intervention services, counseling, life skills and behavioral health services to abused, neglected, and homeless youth and their families.
Below: Rachel Hodas and Ben Stango. Ben was one of the “Top Host Committee Members” who sold the most tickets to the gala; others included Elyssa Yuen, Kenisha Marks, and Melanie Davidson. Congrats!
Below: Dashing couple of the night: Ravi Goel and Meera Gupta.
Below: Elyssa Yuen and Maura Douglas enjoy the networking aspect of the gala. The Spruce Foundation uses social gatherings as networking opportunities, and earlier this year, they held a series of dinners at Han Dynasty to connect start-up nonprofits with young philanthropists.
Below: Artist William Butler created the “Love Philly” piece, which was auctioned off at the end of the night.
Below: Mike O’Hara, Michael Nowak, Ilana Gromis, Evangeline Berube and Albert Conicella.
Below: Justine Jou and Michael Faia.
Below: Dan Stamm, of NBC 10 Philadelphia, and Shelby Zitelman. Both Dan and I had to wake up early the next day to participate in the Philadelphia Zombie Run. Check out those photos on PhillyChitChat.com.
