A Little Bit of Fancy at Dancing Under the Stars Gala

When I was in school to become a nurse, I was asked many times what I would specialize in. Early in the program, I only knew what I could not do, pediatrics. A hurting child hits me to the core and unfortunately, I’ve been known to pass out with the cry of pain or fear from a child. When a child is ill and requires extensive time in a hospital, the entire family suffers from disruption. Imagine if the hospital is no where near the home; Ronald McDonald House provides an answer. These homes are strategically set near hospitals where they can house and feed families at very vulnerable times. Give Back Girl, Michelle, reached out to see how we could help.

One evening in March the GBGs were afforded the opportunity to volunteer at the Dancing Under the Stars Gala at Anthony’s Ocean View.

What an evening. Of course Michelle, Angie, Johanna, and I dressed for the occasion; it was fun to get all fancied up once I found something to wear! We looked fabulous! And just as “fab”was the venue. Just beautiful and very festive.

The appetizer buffet was mouth-watering and the guests enjoyed while socializing and sipping on cocktails. We were asked to greet and seat the guests using an almost accurate seating chart. No worries, we did a great job figuring it out.

Not before long , Gil Simmons came through the door to sign in. I excitedly asked for a picture before all the festivities swallowed him up. He kindly obliged and made our evening!! How nice to have some volunteers pictured on Channel 8 news!

Once the guests had arrived and were seated, our task was completed. Just before they broke down the buffet, we were invited to have a bite to eat. Even the end of the buffet had delicious bites for us to enjoy!

We stayed a bit longer to enjoy the dance comptetion. How fun!!! The music, the creative dances, and beautiful costumes made it a sight to see. The 500 guests enjoyed the event while eating a full course meal served at their tables. All this while raising much needed funds to keep families near their sick little ones. Amazing.

Before we left for the evening, we had a little fun posing our fancy-selves for pictures!

One thing we have embraced, for sure, is the fun aspect of volunteering.

On a serious note, the Ronald McDonald house provides three meals a day to the families that stay there. Volunteers send takeout food, sponsor a meal, or come to the kitchen and cook a meal. This is the meals from the heart program. in June, the Give Back Girls will be preparing a dinner for these families that are going through a difficult time. Stay tuned to hear about our experience.