Dear Friends of Maria Love,
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all past and present directors and friends whose deep loyalty to the Fund delivered an incredible day of giving at the 32nd Annual Maria Love Spring Luncheon! Your contributions, whether in the form of time, decor, jewelry, gifts, raffle prizes, sponsorships, or loving support, will make a positive impact on numerous individuals and organizations across Erie County. Considering Maria Love's whole-hearted connection with our community, I am certain she would be delighted to see the gathering of so many compassionate supporters!
A warm hug of congratulations to Jenna Brinkworth, recipient of the Maria Love Founders Award! Holding multiple leadership positions with the organization for over 22 years, Jenna is the consummate leader and friend. We are honored to recognize Jenna for her exemplary leadership, philanthropic spirit, and charming style, and we hold deep admiration for all the lives she touched and the advancements she made on behalf of the Fund. All of which continue to make a positive impact in our community today!
Thank you to Lauren Hall Connors, Most Buffalo Host and Maria Love spokesperson, for graciously serving as our emcee and spokesperson, infusing our program with her genuine warmth.
Three cheers to our extraordinary Luncheon Chair, Patti Deni, whose vision, and creativity brought the luncheon to new heights! Special thanks to Allanna Kelly-Beaton for her thoughtful procurement of items and leadership as our Auction Chair, and to Candace Darby for her gracious hospitality as hostess of our Gift & Gather. You all created a beautiful, memorable afternoon!
We appreciate our friendly volunteers, partners, and friends from M&T Bank; and are grateful to Executive Assistant, Kate Todd Hubbell, who made every detail come together exquisitely.
Nancy Stevens, Executive Director, serves as our lifeline to the countless outstanding healthcare providers in Erie County. We give wholehearted thanks to Nancy for her guidance and recognize our all-female Board of Directors for their unwavering commitment to serving, sustaining, and expanding the Fund through their time, financial contributions, and fundraising endeavors. We recognize and cherish the myriad talents within our organization, supporters, sponsors, and partners-and we are grateful to be united in our mission to foster greater community impact.
In addition to the hundreds of individuals we serve through our agency partners, we were honored to announce this year's recipients of Maria's Grants: Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology; Canopy of Neighbors; City Year Buffalo; Ferguson-Stillman Charitable Fund; Home and Happy, Inc.; Kidney Health Together, Inc.; Visually Impaired Advancement, VIA; Haven House; and Feed More, WNY. Your work is instrumental in addressing critical needs of our community, and we are proud to offer our support. Thank you all for representing your organizations so well!
How do you possibly articulate the magnitude of Maria's presence and continue the essence of one person's acts of courage, 121 years later? It starts with sharing our WHY and acknowledging that this day of celebration would not have been possible without the support of our loyal donors, agency partners, corporate sponsors, and cherished friends of Maria Love.
Thank you for being part of our rainbow, our connection, our Legacy of Love!
Warmly,
Julie
Julie VanDyke Gicewicz
Board President, The Maria Love Fund
Check out Charity Ball and other initiatives, and download your Spring Luncheon photos on our website by clicking here! Read about where your donations will go throughout the year!