shine celebration

Thanks for shining with us!

Thanks for shining with us! 2500 1309 Way to Grow

On Friday, September 25 Way to Grow hosted its first virtual Gala – “Let’s Connect” Shine Celebration. Together, we raised over $305,000 to fund our Great by Eight program, stabilizing families and providing education to those who need it most. If you would still like to help us meet our goal, please consider a gift now.  

A special shout out to T. Mychael Rambo, Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele, Doug Baker Ecolab CEO and Chairman of the Board and Megan Newquist, KSTP for shining with us during this special event.  Our event sponsors, table ambassadors and virtual guests allowed us to make the most of a virtual celebration and raise much needed dollars. Thank you!

Shine Celebration 2019

Shine Celebration 2019 1800 1200 Angelique McDonald

Our 30th Anniversary Shine Celebration on October 26, 2019 was an enormous success! Thanks to the support of our generous donors and our extraordinary volunteers and staff, Way to Grow raised over $400,000!

The 2019 Shine Celebration was a bedazzled evening of spectacular moments. The stars were out that night, with incredible performances by Jamecia Bennett, Dennis Spears, and T.Mychael Rambo peppered throughout the evening. One particular highlight was a performance by T.Mychael and our very own Way to Grow children—they were a smash! With a storybook song written just for us, T.Mychael positively mesmerized the audience while sharing the 30-year history of Way to Grow.

We were also delighted to welcome special guest speaker, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan to our celebration. During her keynote, she spoke about the importance of early education and the access for all children in the community. She also discussed how Way to Grow’s model has proven to be successful and stressed how education should be part of all that we do to support families and children in our communities.

One touching moment that stuck with us was listening to Bryanna Lopez, a Way to Grow alumna. Bryanna was joined on stage by her father, and spoke eloquently about how her family’s time with Way to Grow set them up for success by changing how they approached education as a family. Now a college sophomore studying bio engineering, we couldn’t be more proud!

The excitement ramped up with a Live Auction event that boasted trips to Scottsdale and Tuscany, great tickets to sporting events, and more. The money raised set the tone for a night of incredible generosity. Hundreds of guests showed amazing support all evening. Through donations of all sizes, live and silent auctions, and event sponsorships, we were able to raise over $400,000. Wow!

We at Way to Grow want to express our gratitude for all who came and supported our mission during our 30th Anniversary Shine Celebration. Thank you and we will see you in 2020!

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