Better Together’s fifth annual Night of a Million Dreams Gala raises more than $1.3M
Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, hosted its Night of a Million Dreams gala on Friday, Feb. 27, raising $1,353,747 to support Better Together’s mission of helping parents find employment and provide a loving, safe and supportive foundation for their children.
Held at The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón, the “Made to Flourish”-themed gala treated supporters to live entertainment from Deuces Wild Dueling Pianos, dinner, a live and silent auction and compelling stories of lives transformed.
Among the funds raised was a $500,000 donation from the Wilson & Johnson Private Foundation to establish an endowment fund focused on keeping children safe and growing family stability. The endowment will also continue to accept additional contributions.
Better Together helps 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 in 2015, the programming has rapidly expanded to reach families in six regions of Florida, which span 48 counties. To date, the program has served more than 37,000 children and kept 98% of children served through mentoring and hosting out of foster care, while helping more than 50,000 job seekers find employment through church-based job fairs across 24 states.
“We are incredibly thankful to every supporter who helped us more than double last year’s fundraising total, allowing us to expand our impact and help more families flourish,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. “We believe that every person is created by God with purpose, and this gala united our community to uplift neighbors and transform lives.”
This year’s Presenting Sponsor was Gaea Landscaping. Additional sponsors included Boatman Ricci, Boveda, Collier Enterprises, Concierge Insurance Partners, DeAngelis Diamond, Dr. Barry Deaton, Realtor, Estate Landscaping & Lawn Management, Gulfshore Life, HBK CPAs & Consultants, Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A., J.P. Morgan, John R. Wood Christie’s International Real Estate, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Metz Husband Daughton, The Naples Press, Organizing By Design, Priority Marketing, Roof Right, Service Fanatics, Summit Church, TaxSavers, Trinity Commercial Group and Wilson & Johnson.
To learn more about Better Together and its mission, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.
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.