OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY – Wendell Foster, a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving people with disabilities, raised a record-breaking total of $228,667 at its Forever a Difference Maker Gala & Auction on Saturday, September 30. Proceeds from the event, presented by Boardwalk Pipelines, support over 65,000 services provided by the non-profit, ranging from residential services, outpatient therapy services, and community-based programming. The annual event is in its 20th year and serves as Wendell Foster’s primary fundraiser each year through generous bids, sponsorships, ticket purchases, and donations from gala attendees.
The gala and auction included 400 silent auction items donated by generous community members and businesses and 14 live auction packages that included premiere trips and experiences, hard-to-find bourbon, and more. This year’s event featured Eyewitness News Meteorologist Ron Rhodes and former Eyewitness News Anchor Jake Boswell as the evening’s emcees, along with auctioneer John Kurtz of Kurtz Auction & Realty. The organization also presented its second-annual Difference Maker of the Year Award to two individuals, Kentucky State Senator Gary Boswell and Representative Suzanne Miles. Senator Boswell and Representative Miles aided in securing a one-time appropriation of $450,000 from the Kentucky General Assembly through House Bill 1 to construct Wendell Foster’s new Aquatic Therapy Center. Boswell attended the event and accepted the award from Wendell Foster CEO Doug Hoyt, and a pre-recorded video was shown to attendees of Miles receiving the award from Wendell Foster residents.
Two local families shared their personal experiences with Wendell Foster at the gala and auction, the Clary and Grant families. Logan and Kari Clary’s daughter, Stella, began outpatient therapy with Wendell Foster after a diagnosis of CHARGE Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. Stella, who is legally blind, deaf, and lacks the vestibular system that provides balance, has made great strides in her mobility since starting therapy. The family once feared that Stella would never walk, and shared with gala attendees that she is now walking, running, jumping, and swimming because of Wendell Foster. Nick Grant began therapy at Wendell Foster shortly after his birth in 2006. After an injury caused him to lose oxygen at birth, Nick had difficulties with speech, swallowing, and mobility. Nick is now a talkative, active teenager who graduated from therapy at Wendell Foster in 2024. Nick gave onstage remarks before the Special Appeal portion of the event, sharing: “Wendell Foster has done wonders for me and my family, and I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for them.”
Kara Howard, Vice President of Development and Community Engagement at Wendell Foster, expressed her excitement at the success of the annual fundraiser. “Every dollar raised at the Gala and Auction transforms lives and creates a brighter future for individuals with disabilities, and we are endlessly grateful to everyone who joined us in this event to support Wendell Foster!”
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