ANN ARBOR – Don your big hats and bow ties on May 4 for Ele's Place's second annual Derby Day Soirée fundraiser at Concordia University Ann Arbor.
Community members are invited to the Southern Flair and Fare-themed evening to raise funds and awareness for the nonprofit that serves grieving children and families, and celebrate the 145th Kentucky Derby.
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The event will take place at Concordia's historic Earhart Manor from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. VIP events begin at 4 p.m. with pre-derby coverage on NBC and Champagne tasting.
Expect a fun-filled evening with silent and live auctions, mint juleps and bourbon tastings, a wine pull, mock wagering and derby-inspired fare. Following the "Run for the Roses," guests will enjoy music and dancing at the Jockey Club featuring NJ Nicole Myint or enjoy the "Silent Derby Disco."
"We are so excited to host this unique evening out in Ann Arbor," Monica Brancheau, managing director of Ele’s Place Ann Arbor, said in a statement.
"The Soirée is a one-of-a-kind fundraiser that supports the mission of Ele’s Place. It will allow us to continue and grow our program, which is free of charge, to children and teens who are coping with a death. We know that 1 in 10 children will experience the death of parent or sibling before they are 18. That means there are potentially 6,000 children and teens who need our services at Ele’s Place in Washtenaw County. This event will help us meet the needs of our community."
New this year, there will be a "paddle raise" to help raise monetary donations to stock the kitchen of the Ele's Place Potluck Room in its brand-new grief center that will open later this year.
According to Ele's Place, the Potluck Room will be a place where grieving families, facilitators and staff can sit down and break bread before branching out into smaller groups.
Tickets start at $200 and are available at www.elesplace.org.
About Ele’s Place
Ele’s Place, a community-based nonprofit in its 28th year statewide and 12th year in Ann Arbor, is dedicated to creating awareness of and support for grieving children and their families. Through peer support groups, Ele’s Place helps children and teens learn how to cope with the death of a parent, sibling or other loved one. An average of 200 grieving children, teens and their families attend peer support programs each week at no cost. Ele’s Place also provides support groups in schools and clinical consultations for grieving families. For more information, visit www.elesplace.org.
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