Tri-Valley gala set for Sept. 15 in Iola

Friday, August 28, 2009

The public is invited to attend an evening of fun, food and music to raise money for a good cause, Tri-Valley Developmental Services officials said Thursday.

The fifth annual Gala Mardi Gras Celebration, sponsored by the Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation, will take place Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Riverside Park Community Building, 600 S. State St., Iola. The event will also include both a live and silent auction of various items, art demonstrations, and other activities.

TVDS staff are planning on rolling out the red carpet for all in attendance at the event, an agency statement said.

All proceeds from the evening will help the Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation build homes for people with developmental disabilities in the agency's 4-county region who are able to live independently. The foundation has already completed construction on four houses that are home to 17 developmentally disabled individuals. More homes are planned as funds become available, TVDS officials said.

"The gala is an opportunity to truly make a tangible difference in the lives of people in our own community," the TVDS statement said.

The silent auction, which is set to begin at 6:30 p.m., will include items donated by Hollywood celebrities, athletes, authors, artists, universities and colleges, and area businesses.

This year's gala will once again feature three local artists who will demonstrate their skills throughout the evening. The art work will be presented to the highest bidder during the evening's live auction. Bidders will have a chance to own unique treasures that will only be available through the gala, the TVDS statement said.

The evening will begin with a live auction of Dom Perignon wine donated by Kris Kowalski of Antons Wines and Spirits of Wichita and will also include a live auction for a vacation trip to Breckenridge, Colo., as well as unique artwork created by individuals served by TVDS.

The cost to participate in the entire event is $30 per person or $220 for a table of eight people. Party Girl's Catering in Iola is catering the Mardi Gras-themed event. Reservations are needed and may be made by calling TVDS at (620) 431-7401, extension 229 or 230, and should be made by Friday, Sept. 11.

The Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation, a 145-member charitable organization founded by TVDS in 1990, started a campaign in 2000 to build five homes for TVDS clients. Since 2004, four homes have been built; one house in Iola, two in Humboldt, and a house in Fort Scott that was completed earlier this month.

Other than the gala, the foundation raises funds each year to build houses through paid memberships in the organization, an annual prize drawing for a fifth-wheel and truck, and a golf tournament.

About 200 people attended last year's event.

Sponsors for the gala include Community National Bank in Chanute, Home Savings Bank in Chanute, Ravin Printing in Chanute and Iola, Jarred, Gilmore and Philips CPA in Chanute, Bank of Commerce in Chanute, State Farm Insurance agent John McRae, Iola, McCune Robinson Insurance in Chanute, Merle Kelly Ford in Chanute, Ashley Clinic in Chanute, and Citizens Bank N.A. in Fort Scott.

TVDS, founded in 1975, is a non-profit agency based in Chanute that operates two service centers in Chanute and Fort Scott. The agency provides services for 286 people with developmental disabilities in Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson counties, with offices in each of those locations.