H. O. P. E. fundraising gala returns to Jacksonville
H. O. P. E.- Jacksonville, located at 595 S. Ragsdale, is reviving its fundraising gala.‘ Seeds of H. O. P. E. is set for 6 p. m. Saturday, Nov. 8.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MICHELLE DILLON Cherokee County Living
After a seven-year hiatus, the H. O. P. E. fundraising gala returns to Jacksonville at 6 p. m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at The Jackson at Cherokee Ranch.
The last time the non-profit’ s gala took place was in 2018. The event, which occurred every two years, was in the planning stages in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hit. The gala for that year had to be canceled. The venue used for the galas closed to the public the following year.
“ I used to go to those galas, back when they were at The Castle [ on the Lake ], and everybody looked forward to them,” said Lauren Carter, current gala committee member and H. O. P. E. volunteer.“ They had a lot of fun.”
‘ Seeds of H. O. P. E.,’ the new fundraising gala, will be conducted much like the ones of previous years.
At 6 p. m., guests may enjoy appetizers while browsing – and bidding on – silent auction items. Dinner will be served at 7 p. m., during which a program will be presented. The evening will conclude with an 8 p. m. live auction.
The program will include a video and some honorary awards, according to H. O. P. E. Executive Director Priscilla Mandujano.
“ We’ ll show a video of what H. O. P. E.’ s done, what it’ s doing and what it wants to do in the future,” she said. Carter approved of the video idea.“ That way, everybody that attends really gets an idea of what H. O. P. E. does,” she said. The annual budget for H. O. P. E is about $ 300,000.
The fundraising goal for the gala is $ 50,000.“ The gala will help ensure that we can keep our
8 Jacksonville Progress | Holiday 2025