The lavish evening included a cornicopia of gourmet dishes to tempt any palate. The guests circulated among the many silent auction items as they enjoyed the array of musical styles provided by The Casablanca Orchestra and DJ Kate Britain. As the music of old standards and new favorites filled the night, the guests danced and swayed long into the evening under a canopy of soft white lights.

During the silent auctions, guests bid on such items as tickets to the North Carolina Symphony and the Carolina Hurricanes, gift certificates from some of our area’s finest restaurants, tantalizing specialty gift baskets, magnums of fine wine, and a showcase of fine art. The live auction segment really got the crowd going with an autographed Carolina Hurricanes jersey, signed by the whole team, a flat-panel HD television, vacation packages, and even a walk-on role in a movie or televsion show to be filmed right here in North Carolina. “Congratulations on a wonderful evening.” Marie Hughes, a first-time attendee said. “I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Knowing that the money I contributed supports a local agency that will provide services for my grandson, Ethan, made the event very personal to me. I’m looking forward to the next gala.”

The monies raised during the event go directly to finance the Arc’s programs in Wake County. As a non-profit agency, The Arc depends on the annual auction to not only help the Arc financially, but also raise community awareness about its programs that serve people of all ages with developmental disabilities. Pamela Wimbush of the Arc of Wake County’s Board of Directors had this to say: “It was our hope to bring more awareness to Arc of Wake County. Our fund-raising committee worked extremely hard to also make the 2007 Gala a wonderful experience for the Triangle community. It feels great to know we succeeded in doing both. The board of directors is excited to see growing community support for Arc of Wake County and the people it serves.”

“The funds raised will be used to serve people of all ages with developmental disabilities”, said Steve Strom, the Executive Director for the Arc of Wake County. “This year our community really stepped up to help us raise the money needed to help our clients and the people we serve. There is a tremendous need for quality services for the developmental disability community, including advocacy, housing, and supported employment.”

Anna Cunningham, Auction Committee Chair, shared this, “It is an honor to be a part of this event knowing that through the gifts of time, talent, and resources from our supporters, we are able to meaningfully impact our community by increasing the life opportunities for people living with developmental disabilities here in Wake County. This is the finest outcome you get to see on people’s faces everyday of the year through this organization.”

The Arc of Wake County will continue this important fundraising tradition in February 2009 with a gala event not to be missed.