By Kathy L. Collins
The Annual Fostering Hope Vintage Hollywood Black Tie Gala, which benefits A Kid’s Place, will take place on Saturday, May 13 at 7 p.m. at the Epicurean Hotel located in the trendy neighborhood of Hyde Park in Tampa. Sponsorships beginning at $500 and tickets are available, but space is limited. Individual tickets are $300 per person. The Epicurean Hotel is located at 1207 S. Howard Ave. in Tampa.
The black-tie event will feature a bubbly bar and champagne tower, cigar bar, photo booth and walk of fame. Music will be provided by The Shawn Brown Band with poolside dancing under the stars. In addition, a sumptuous dinner will feature classic dishes re-imagined with a menu developed in collaboration with the legendary Bern’s Steak House.
A Kid’s Place was the vision of Dottie Berger MacKinnon. She wanted to establish a place where sibling groups who had been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment are able to stay together in a safe, stable, home-like environment until a more permanent placement could be provided. Since its inception, over 125,000 bed nights have been recorded.
A Kid’s Place is a 60-bed facility made up of five 3200 sq. ft. homes. They accept children from newborn through 18 years old. A Kid’s Place utilizes the live-in house parent model which provides children with consistent caregivers and family style living.
Mary Berg, Community Specialist for A Kid’s Place said, “The children who come into foster care are traumatized, and they have endured life experiences that most of us cannot fully comprehend. These are innocent children who grow up with abuse and neglect and, for some children, even abandonment by the very people who they look up to for love, protection and guidance.
For more information and to reserve tickets or become a sponsor, please visit www.akidsplacetb.org.
