April 08, 2024
A Lucky Evening at the Special Needs Foundation for Community Link Gala
Breese, IL – The Special Needs Foundation for Community Link held its annual gala to support the vison of a community where all individuals are valued for their presence and contributions.
The foundation hosted its annual event, the Palace of Possibilities Gala, on Saturday, April 6. The Breese American Legion looked like a palace, straight out of Vegas, with casino game tables filling the room and lots of sparkles. The night was made possible by the foundation board members, who worked for many months on bringing the event to life. As the emcee, Paul Klostermann, director of finance for Community Link, greeted the crowd and entertained throughout the evening.
With over 200 guests in attendance this year, the room was packed with excited bettors. The guests, sponsors, and donors were incredibly generous, raising more than $117,000 to support the foundation. These donations will be added to the endowment that supports Community Link today and decades into the future.
The evening entertainment included casino games like poker, roulette, a horse wheel, as well as a photo booth and silent auction. Snacks and sweets catered by The Red Porch Café were a big hit. The silent and live auctions also drew a lot of attention. The guests demonstrated heartfelt generosity by giving $32,000 during the Fund Our Future paddle raise.
Special Needs Foundation for Community Link board president, Helen Heimann, and Community Link executive director, John Huelskamp, thanked the crowd for taking Community Link from good to great through their support. They talked about some upcoming projects that will create more opportunities for program participants. They also introduced and honored Joanne who shared her life story and experiences in a video that can be viewed at commlink.org.
The community, businesses and individuals, donated many great items for the auctions. As soon as guests arrived, the silent auction was live for them to bid on items, and later in the night, guests raised their paddles to be the top bidder during the live auction, called by Jerry Kues.
The gala is a big night for the foundation each year it has been held, and Saturday was no exception. The guest’s participation in the games and auctions was appreciated, and the foundation is grateful for everyone who attended and supported them.
All donations and contributions go directly to the Special Needs Foundation for Community Link. From the contributions that the foundation receives, it is able to support Community Link and its mission now and for years to come.
Of course, nights like this wouldn’t be possible without the support of generous sponsors. The Special Needs Foundation for Community Link sends thanks to Royal Flush sponsor Monken Toyota, Four of a Kind sponsors: Midwest National Bank, Southern Bus & Mobility, CC Food Marts, Poettker Construction, UNCOMN, Foppe Ace Hardware, and FCB Banks, and Full House Sponsors: Dairy King, Germantown Savings & Trust Bank, Shelley Kenow IEP Consultant, Clinton Manor, Southwestern Construction Services, Inc, The Maschhoffs, Banner Fire Equipment, and Foppe Insurance Agency.
The Special Needs Foundation for Community Link is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 whose mission is to support developmentally disabled citizens served by Community Link, Inc. The purpose of the Foundation is to raise and grow funds to support the special needs of Community Link while preserving donation capital. For more information, please visit commlink.org/foundation.