Wow. What. A. Night. I have been a part of Club Blue for a few years now and ever year I am blown away by with the event itself. This past year I was able to dig into the background of Club Blue much and I can tell you, I am more impressed with the people behind the event, the organizations that benefit from it and what it does for our community. So before I dive into what this party was like and share some of the amazing photographs, I want to share with you why Club Blue even takes place.
The Mission of Club Blue is to provide for the basic goods and services that promote the safety, health and well-being of children in need in our community. With the exponential growth of of the past few years, Club Blue has become a recognized 501c3 charity. Also, this year they are splitting the proceeds between these 3 organizations. I was able to personally visit all 3 of these organizations a few months and speak to the people doing incredible, passionate and sometimes even gut wrenching things to make our community better for its youth.
Founded in 1999, Rock House Kids is a 501 (C) 3 organization that seeks to feed at risk children physically, spiritually and emotionally. It is an outreach that cares for at-risk children in Rockford’s inner city. There is a growing number of at-risk children from ages 5 to 18 who are in need of a safe, warm, nurturing environment.
Our mission is to provide the support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault need to begin the recovery process and plan for a future free of violence and abuse. As victims regain inner strength and rebuild self esteem, we are with them every step of their journey and provide a continuum of care, which allows them to transition from victim to survivor.
MotherHouse Crisis Nursery provides both immediate help as well as longer term intervention/prevention family support to help stabilize the family. Central to the program is Crisis Child Care, which provides a safe haven for children when their families are unable to care for them due to an emergency.
Each and every person on staff and volunteer at the organizations has my support and respect for the effort and passion they show day in and day out. I personally can not begin to explain to just how amazing each person I talked to at these organizations were. One thing they all had in common was just how humble they were. Each one of their jobs is difficult and I am sure it sometimes grinds on each one. Yet when given the chance to humblebrag or even just give me a wry smile, they choose to just look at me in the eye, appreciate my encouragement and just continue to be a force of positive change in our community. There are some movers and shakers in our community who are doing the tough work to make a difference in the lives of people who desperately need it. Because of these people, I am proud to support Club Blue and in every one of its endeavors.
Ok, so about this party! First let me show what the place looked like before Best Events Catering and Luxe Productions absolutely transformed this space.
They took that and made it this…
This years Club Blue was an event that every person will remember. From its food, the actual benefits, the decor and even appearances from Rick Nielsen and Daxx Nielsen, this was an event that I will personally remember and cherish for a long, long time! Stay tuned as I will finish the full gallery of photographs this week!
