Thank you for an amazing event
On October 9th, we celebrated our Fall Fest. With over 200 tickets sold, we had a long night of food, fun, and celebrating survivors of domestic violence.
Hosted at The Silo, from 5:30-8:30 PM, attendees enjoyed all we had to offer. There were hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and desserts to snack on throughout the night. A flight of fun could be found in our games, raffles, and silent auction.
One highlight of the night was the presentation of our Hart's Heart award, which is an award to honor a member of the community who has shown great dedication to Sylvia's Place's mission and support for survivors of domestic violence. This year, the award was given to our staff member, Sally Ashley. The other highlight was our Survivor's Story, which is when a brave survivor who received services from Sylvia's Place told her story and her perseverance in making a better life. Thank you for sharing your story!
A mainstay of our Fall Fest is our Silent Auction. Long tables draped in black cloth, wrapped around half of the Silo's banquet hall. Atop the tables sat items donated by businesses and community members. This year, 100 different items were available for attendees to bid on. From baskets, to gift certificates, or experiences, there was a high chance for something to catch your fancy!
There were also items donated by community members, like our "Bougie Lions Fan", "Pumpkin Everything", and "Round Trip" baskets.
Items like these are just as valuable to our Silent Auction. Thank you to these amazing community members who chose to support Sylvia's Place!
There were items from local businesses, like Mugshots, The Bear and Fox Yarn Den, and the Sassy Olive. We also received items from places like Kendra Scott, Saugatuck Brewery, and Rowley Chiropractor.
Businesses all around--from Kalamazoo to Holland, from South Haven to Grand Rapids, and places in between--donated to our Silent Auction. Thank you!
Congratulations to all the winners of these amazing prizes!
Attendees enjoyed our many games and raffles during the night!
Heads or Tails
Attendees got to test their predictive precision in a game of heads or tails.
For $10 to play, participants stand up and choose either heads or tails. With a flip of a coin, that choice becomes the deciding factor. Those who guessed wrong sit down, and those who guessed correctly are in for another stage. This challenge continues until only one person is left.
The winner got a stack of gift cards!
Bottle Raffle
One game this year was our Bottle Raffle. On the table, located at the Southeast corner, there was a spread of 78 bottles. There was a pick of wines, brandy, bourbons, and more!
For $20 a bottle, attendees could choose from the spread. They could buy as many as they would like. Not only did the attendee get their bottle, but the purchase of a bottle automatically entered them into a raffle!
Each bottle was numbered one to seventy-eight. Later that night, our Board President drew the number, and the owner of that bottle number won a Ninja Creami Deluxe plus bowls + containers to make their own ice cream!
Thank you to our volunteers, Danyella and Ryley, for manning this station!
Dice Games
Roll the dice on your chance to win!
For $10 a roll, participants could roll two dice. The number rolled equaled the number of tickets received. With those tickets, participants could put those tickets in a drawing into the prize(s). Some chose to put all their hopes in one prize; some spread their chances across all four prizes.
This year's prizes included:
- A Hart's Jewelry Bracelet
- Cricut 3 Machine plus vinyl starter pack
- $250 in Four Winds Casino credit
- Bourbon Ensemble (including Eagle Rare, Penelope, and Old Forester)
Thank you to Hart's Jewelry, Four Winds Casino, Jake V., and Janice W. for donating these prizes.
Thank you to our volunteers, Kate and Eliza, for manning this station!
Luck of the Draw
A game to test your luck!
Participants could choose to purchase cards from either a purple and/or gold deck to enter themselves in the luck of the draw for the corresponding prize(s).
The purple deck sold at $10 a card for the chance to win a $500 Country Home Furniture gift certificate. The gold deck sold at $15 a card for the chance to win a Gun Lake Casino Package.
Participants could buy as many cards of the deck as they wanted to increase their odds of having their card(s) drawn!
Thank you to our volunteer, Ben, for manning this station!
Congratulations to all the winners of these amazing prizes!
Congratulations to Erin K. for winning the Detroit Lions raffle package. Enjoy your two game-day tickets, and deck out in the Lions' swag and apparel.
Thank you to our volunteer, Aaron, for manning this station.
Attendees aren't just sponsoring a pillowcase; they are sponsoring the cost of a Welcome Kit. As survivors enter our shelter, they are provided with this kit--filled with daily essentials to provide comfort, dignity, and hope during their stay at Sylvia's Place.
Another mainstay of our Fall Fest is our Purchase a Pillowcase station. For $25, attendees choose to sponsor a handmade pillowcase that will be provided to a survivor entering our shelter. Attendees could write their name on a tag or have the volunteers write a welcoming message.
Thank you to everyone who sponsored a pillowcase. Your purchase truly helps fill these welcome bags and make an immediate impact on those we serve.
Thank you to our volunteers, Makena and Becky, for manning this station!
