On December 3, the American Red Cross South Florida Region debuted their first virtual fundraising event, Hope for the Holidays presented by JM Family Enterprises and Bank of America. The event showcased exclusive holiday “How-Tos” that allowed attendees to participate in the comfort of their own home and offered new and unique ways for donors and the community to show their support in the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross.
As many organizations have had to transition their in-person events to a virtual platform this year, the Red Cross did as well to prioritize the health and safety of their workforce and its local supporters. With this in mind, engaging the community remained a priority and that is how Hope for the Holidays was developed!
Hosted by Emily Pantelides, President of Pantelides PR & Consulting and Red Cross Palm Beach & Treasure Coast Board Member, the event consisted of a series of exclusive holiday-themed experiences. Kicking off the event, was Bacardi, USA showcasing their special holiday cocktail followed by three breakout room options for attendees to choose between.
The first breakout room offered guests the opportunity to learn how to make their own wine at home with “The Art of Wine Making” presented by Red Cross’ Regional Disaster Officer Charles “Chuck” Parker. Charles taught guests how to get started in winemaking, by providing an exclusive preview of how he makes his own home-brewed wine.
Breakout room option number two allowed guests to learn how to make the perfect table decorations just in time for the holidays with “Home is Where the Holidays Are” presented by Clive Daniel Home, De La Flor Florist & Gardens, and Galleria Farms. These talented designers showcased their exclusive insider tips on how to set your table for your holiday celebration.
Lastly, the final breakout room featured “Cooking with Celebrity Chef Erik Pettersen, where you learned his secrets in making his winning dish from Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games” presented by Evo Italian. If you’ve ever wanted to cook like a professional chef, this was the breakout room for you! Chef Erik made a mouthwatering Alaskan halibut encrusted with Cajun spices with sautéed leeks and fried potato gnocchi. The dish was so impressive, it caught the attention of Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri and resulted in naming Chef Erik as the winner on an episode of Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games! As Chef Erik described to the guests his step-by-step process of making his winning dish, you could almost smell and taste it through the screen. From the sizzling shallots to the juicy heirloom tomatoes, it felt as though he was preparing the dish right in your own kitchen.
Hope for the Holidays raised more than $75,000 and had supporters join in on the fun from all over the South Florida Region and beyond, to not only celebrate the holidays but to show their support for the Red Cross mission.
“Hope for the Holidays is about giving back to others. This unprecedented year of disasters calls upon humanity to help others survive. The Red Cross is the ultimate Humanitarian mission! When we give to the Red Cross, they, in turn, can help others,” says Yolanda Valencia, Director of Human Resources and Corporate Philanthropy at Galleria Farms. Yolanda has been a longtime supporter of the American Red Cross and took part in the event itself as she introduced the breakout room “Home is Where the Holidays Are”.
A special thank you to all the sponsors who supported Hope for the Holidays: JM Family Enterprises, Bank of America, Tropical Financial Credit Union, Holy Cross Health, Clive Daniel Home, Galleria Farms, Fire Chiefs’ Association of Broward County, Florida, Ravi Ramnarain, CPA, T-Rex Creative LLC, Bev, and Ron Nordmann and all other contributing sponsors for their wonderful support of Hope for the Holidays.
With the transition from a traditional in-person event to virtual, the support from the community remained. We are incredibly grateful to have the dedication and support during these evolving times.
To learn more about other opportunities to support the Red Cross, please visit redcross.org/SFLWaystoDonate Your donation is very important to the mission and provides hope and relief for tomorrow.
Written by Siara Campbell