Photo courtesy the Virginia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Fur Ball
The 19th edition of this annual black ties and paws fundraiser for the Richmond SPCA was set for Nov. 4 at The Jefferson Hotel. The gathering of dogs and their formal-clad people included Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, this year’s honorary chair for the event.
“The Fur Ball is the most fun and least stuffy black-tie event of the year in Richmond,” says Robin Starr, chief executive officer for the nonprofit.
The event netted $500,000 last year and drew about 430 patrons and 50 pooches.
Heroes Art Ball
Dozens of pieces of art are created by some of Richmond’s top artists working with children who have faced cancer in this annual fundraiser for the Connor’s Heroes Foundation. The artwork is auctioned off, with proceeds used in the foundation’s work to help Richmond families cope with childhood cancer and fund researchers to conquer it. About 340 attended in 2017, netting $240,000 for the nonprofit.
“It’s a magical night that brings together our childhood cancer families and the community who support them,” says Lisa Goodwin, a cofounder of the nonprofit. The next Art Ball is set for April 28, 2018, at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center.
Man and Woman of the Year
The signature event for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Virginia Chapter has a unique format: Individuals, usually blood cancer survivors or their family members, are nominated from their own teams and use their contacts and creativity to raise funds. Each dollar raised counts as one vote, and the titles are awarded to the man and woman with the most dollars raised. The nonprofit held a celebration of its 2017 campaign on May 20 at the Altria Theater. It raised more than $598,000 during the 10-week effort, $73,000 over the target. About 375 attended the sold-out event.
Starry Night
The largest fundraiser of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Virginia Chapter is held in October at the Altria Theater. The 24th annual event on Oct. 12 featured fare from five local chefs in a five-course meal. In 2016, the event netted $195,000 with 200 guests. The goal for 2017 was $200,000 in support of research and finding a cure for the disease.
Nonprofit Spotlight: Richmond Cycling Corps
Photo by Jerry Osborne
Craig Dodson, a former semipro bike racer and founder of this youth cycling team, sees Richmond Cycling Corps as a tool to show his 20 at-risk kids what it will take to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty. Since 2010, his goal has been to get these kids through school and out of public housing, and on to living productive lives. “For me personally, at the end of the day, I do this because the youth/young people have an incredible amount of reactionary, instability-driven needs, and they've, for one reason or another, trusted me (and my staff) to help get them through those situations,” Dodson says.
