Pull out your most elegant black-tie attire to indulge in an evening of jazz, dancing and cultural cuisine while supporting local youth through fundraising.
An Evening With the Arts: A Night of Jazz is hosted by the nonprofit organization Greater Life of Fayetteville and will take place on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event will be held at the Country Club Community Outreach Center at 651 Country Club Drive.
GLOF’s mission is to help at-risk youth and those struggling with behavioral challenges by providing them with meaningful opportunities for enrichment, such as workshops, intervention programs, an after-school program and a summer academy. The I Am YOU-Nique Summer Academy provides STEM education and classes on a wide variety of subjects, such as law enforcement, etiquette and gardening.
By attending this gala, residents help uplift families and youth throughout Cumberland County; funds will go directly to GLOF’s year-round programs. Two of these are the Virtual Learning program, which provides a safe, low-friction environment for kids to learn virtually, and the Mentoring program, which connects children with mentors to help reduce school dropouts and truancy rates.
Jazz tunes will be performed by Pete Everett & The Total Package Band. This musical outfit specializes in funk, jazz and gospel music and plays for audiences worldwide. In addition to their covers, the band plays original compositions made by Everett. He’s opened for and played backup for many revered artists throughout the years, including Chaka Khan, the Whispers, Frankie Beverly & Maze and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Tickets for the gala are $50 and come with a letter of appreciation. Through various contributor levels, gala attendees can show their support by sending their desired amount:
• Bronze Contributor: $1,000 for reserved seating for four guests
• Silver Contributor: $2,500 for reserved seating for six guests
• Gold Contributor: $5,000 for a reserved VIP table for eight guests and premium co-recognition
• Platinum Contributor: $10,000 for a reserved VIP table for 12 guests and premium recognition
Each contributor level offers several perks, such as appreciation certificates and plaques and ad placement in the gala’s program.
Pay for tickets online through Eventbrite by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-the-arts-a-night-of-jazz-black-tie-gala-tickets-1998492204983. To avoid processing fees, you can also mail checks to P.O. Box 41432, Fayetteville, NC, 28309. Checks should be made payable to Greater Life of Fayetteville.
The guest MC for the evening will be TV and radio personality Gilbert Baez, who hosts Good Morning Fayetteville on 640 WFNC. He’s served the North Carolina news broadcasting industry for decades as a news reporter, weather anchor and photojournalist.
Previous GLOF galas have focused on themes of art expression and Filipino culture and cuisine, preserving a tradition of highlighting the local arts and culture scene and giving artists a platform. This ties in with GLOF’s continued efforts to get young learners acquainted with different art forms and instill the value of creativity.
For more information about the event, reach out to GLOF President and CEO Georgeanna Pinckney at 910-364-9531 or hello@glofnc.org.