SmartChoice Attends the St. Jude Spirit of Hope Gala
St. Jude Children’s Hospital is one of the most widely recognized medical facilities in the country. With a strong focus on family, the Hospital treats pediatric cancer patients while providing personal and financial support to parents and relatives to let them focus on the children who are fighting back.
On October 3rd, St. Jude held their first-ever Spirit of Hope: An Evening of BBQ & Blues benefit gala to invite further support for their remarkable work. As a Hospital Without Walls sponsor, SmartChoice’s New York team was thrilled to attend the inaugural event, which was held at Manhattan’s 5th Avenue Penthouse space and invited guests to participate in live and silent auctions that featured exclusive items and access to some of the city’s hottest restaurants.
An Evening of BBQ and Blues was a unique event that offered traditionally casual fare — including some very impressive and delicious barbecued beasts– to guests whose outfits were anything but. Dinner was paired with a bourbon tasting (and bourbon cocktails for those enjoyed that taste) as guests mingled, placed their bids on silent auction items, and gathered round the photo booth to capture a night that brought them together for St. Jude’s laudable cause.
To fully illuminate the impact of the hospital’s work, one mother shared a deeply personal story as she revealed how St. Jude provided her son with optimal medical treatment over a ten-year span to help him enjoy a typical teenage life. While she and her family navigated their ordeal, the St. Jude staff resembled a second family by creating solid emotional connections. This story, along with a speech from event chair Paul Walker, provided guests with a deeper insight into St. Jude’s work and stirred them for the event’s benefit live auction– which included some very enthusiastic and successful participation from Smart Choice.
SmartChoice was honored to lend their support to St. Jude and be a part of this spectacular event. And while this was the inaugural Gala, its success suggests there’s more to come, and more support for the significant St. Jude mission.
To see SmartChoice’s pictures from the event, click on an image below and scroll through the slideshow!
