Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, is hosting ‘A Night of a Million Dreams’ Gala at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs. The gala will raise funds to support Better Together’s mission of helping parents find employment and provide a loving, safe and supportive foundation for their children.
The Wizard of Oz-themed gala will take guests on a magical journey to the wonderful land of better families and better jobs with an evening of dinner, impactful stories and live and silent auctions, with all proceeds to benefit Better Together programs that serve families across the state. The event is chaired by Dr. Alise and David Bartley.
Better Together is made up of two programs – Better Families and Better Jobs – that help parents who are going through a hard time to keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. Established in Southwest Florida just over five years ago, the nonprofit’s programming has rapidly expanded to reach families in 21 counties across the state. To date, the organization has served over 7,800 children and kept 98% of families together, while helping 39,000 job seekers across 22 states find employment.
“Our goal is to end the foster care crisis in Florida, but we can’t do this alone,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. “With the community’s support, we can address the root causes of child neglect and help families navigate the difficulties and challenges that come with life and parenting. We are all better together, and together we can help our neighbors find their way home.”
The event is presented by Gaea Landscaping as The Emerald City Champion sponsor. Additional sponsors include DeAngelis Diamond, LeeCorp Homes and Wilson & Johnson as Lion’s Heart of Gold sponsors; HBK CPAs and Consultants, Priority Marketing, Southern Living Contractors and Southern Oak Wealth Management as Ruby Slipper sponsors; Mutual Trust Advisory Group, Tommy Bohanon Foundation and Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP as Yellow Brick Road sponsors; Other sponsors include Potter Homes, Maughan Himschoot & Associates Law Group, Priority Business Solutions and Pulte Homes.
A range of sponsorship opportunities are still available for the fundraising gala, including Over the Rainbow ($15,000), Lion’s Heart of Gold ($10,000), Ruby Slipper ($5,000), Yellow Brick Road ($2,500), Paddle ($1,000) and Fund a Dream ($500) sponsor levels. To secure a sponsorship or for more information, contact Lora Bostick at lora@bettertogetherus.org.
The gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, located at 5001 Coconut Road in Bonita Springs and tickets are $350 per person and $2,500 for tables of eight. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit BetterTogetherUS.org/Gala.
ABOUT BETTER TOGETHER
Better Together is a nonprofit organization that helps parents going through a hard time keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. A privately funded and professionally supported organization, Better Together is made up of volunteers who believe helping people help themselves is the best way to restore dignity and bring families together. Through the Better Families program, families are offered a preventive alternative to foster care while they get the help they need. To date, the program has kept 98% of children served out of foster care. The Better Jobs program was created to address the 76% of families that come to Better Together because of economic hardship tied to unemployment. In addition to community job fairs, the program offers job seekers coaching, guidance, support and encouragement through local church partners. For more information, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.
