Join us on May 9th, 2024 from 6-9PM at the College of the Holy Cross

Day of Gala Info Below!
The Art of Mental Wellness

The Hope Gala

The Hope Gala is an evening of celebration during which we recognize individuals with mental health conditions, commemorating their courageous recovery journeys. The event includes stories of inspiration, an art auction, a heartfelt musical performance,  a memorable awards ceremony, a delicious array of cuisine, and more!

Hope Gala Information  

Address

The College of the Holy Cross
The Hogan Campus Center1
College St. Worcester, MA 01610

Parking

Free visitor parking is available between the Hogan Campus Center and Luth Athletic Complex (accessible by Gate 7 or McKeon Road). Please reference the map.‍

Auction

Register before you arrive, so that you can start biding immediately!

Dress Code

Cocktail/Business Casual‍

Host and Honorees

The Hope Award

Lavender Darcangelo
Lavender Darcangelo began singing at the age of three before she could even talk. As a person living with both blindness as well as autism, she straddles the worlds of two disabilities. In 2010, she joined a new afterschool mentorship program called the Tribe founded by Wil Darcangelo who, with his husband Jamie, would become her adoptive fathers in 2017. Even though her autism sometimes makes public performance a challenge, she knows that music is her love language. And she frequently uses music to express her love for her family and her boyfriend, Brian. Lavender went viral in 2019 from a video of her performance of the song “Part of Your World” from the Disney film The Little Mermaid and appeared in news media worldwide, This began her eventual journey to the America’s Got Talent stage where received the coveted golden buzzer from judge Heidi Klum and made it all the way to the finals of season 18. She is currently recording her debut album entitled Mosaic, and, with her dad Wil and several others, she is in the process of founding an autism-focused charter school that combines play and experiential learning for individuals who struggle as she did with traditional schools.
Learn More!

Dave Seymour

Emcee
Dave Seymour is a nationally-recognized Real Estate Expert and Star of A&E's Flipping Boston. As both a residential and commercial real estate investor, Dave Seymour has become one of the most recognizable experts in his field. His unabridged passion for business and real estate put him on the radar of A&E television network as well as multiple news organizations including CBS, ABC, CNBC, FOX News, and CNN.
Check Out Flipping Boston!

The Toni A. Wolf Power of Change Award

David Sebastian
David Sebastian is the coordinator of mentoring arts programming for Wayside Youth and Family Support Network. With a decade of experience, he has been running interactive arts programming in the Central Mass catchment area. Prior to this role, he dedicated his time as a full-time stagehand with Blue Man Group Boston, overseeing more than 3000 shows. Additionally, he pursued his education at the Art Institute of Boston, the School Museum of Fine Arts, and Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts.
Last Year's Recipient
Special Guest

Adam O'Day


Step into the vibrant worlds of painter Adam O'Day at the Hope Gala: The Art of Mental Wellness!

Adam will be creating a custom piece of art live at the Gala, which will be auctioned off at the end of the program.

Explore Adam's captivating work online and experience the magic firsthand.

Our Sponsors

The Hope Gala 2023

Unforgettable Moments from Our Gala!

Image of the Hope Gala check in table
Image of The Hope Gala auction table
Image of people catching up
Image of an attendee with a WooSox baseball jersey
Image of people talking at The Hope Gala
Image of a volunteer having fun at The Hope Gala
Image of people laughing at check in
Image of a full check in table
Image of attendees talking to volunteers
Image of all the volunteers that worked the check in table
Image of a looking at the auction items
Image of friends having drinks
Image of Polar Park
Image of volunteers at the check in table
Image of attendees talking at their table
Image of Jim Grasberger talking with a friend
Image of friends at the Hope Gala
Image of people bidding on their phones
Image of Shannon Leary and friends laughing
Image of people checking in at The Hope Gala
Image of friends talking
Image of clubhouse members
Image of Employment Options Gala attendees
Image of the Hope Gala Host Dave Seymour
Image of Dave Seymour addressing the audience
Image of executive director Shannon Leary giving her speech
Image of a clubhouse member cheering
Image of the audience at the Hope Gala
Image of Shannon Leary huggin Dave Seymour
Image of Dave Seymour and members on stage
image of drea mcneil on stage
Image of Trenni Casey at the Hope Gala
Image of Trenni Casey giving her speech on mental health at the hope gala
Image of Bronson Arroyo at Employment Options Hope Gala
Image of Bronson Arroyo playing guitar at Employment Options Hope Gala
Image of Bronson Arroyo singing
Image of smiling gala attendees
Image of mental health supporters
Image of Dave Seymour Aliyah and the WooSox mascot Smiley
Image of the audience cheering
Image of Dave Seymour conducting the donation pitch
Image of Bronson Arroyo signing a baseball for a donor
Image of Hope Gala attendees bumping knuckles
Image of gala attendees raising their hands to donate
Image of Bronson Arroyo smiling
Image of Bronson Arroyo with a fan at Employment Options Hope Gala
Image of Bronson Arroyo with a fan at gala in Worcester MA
Image of Bronson Arroyo Trenni Casey and Dave Seymour
Image of Bronson Arroyo Trenni Casey Dave Seymour and Employment Options executive team
Image of Bronson Arroyo Trenni Casey Dave Seymour and a fan
Image of Bronson Arroyo Trenni Casey Dave Seymour and two mental health supporters
Image of Bronson Arroyo Trenni Casey and a family of mental health supporters
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