The Golden Birthday Bash was a Smashing Success!
What happens when you bring together 20 years of memories, an incredible community, generous donors, spectacular desserts, and families united by one mission?
You throw one unforgettable Golden Birthday Bash.
The celebration of 20 years of the Metro Area Youth Foundation - and the beginning of our next chapter as Lanterns of Hope - was everything we hoped it would be and more.
Our Ambassador stole the show, keeping the crowd entertained with her very careful, and very determined, replacement of the balloons. She reminded everyone in the room exactly why we were there: for the children and families facing childhood cancer and other life-changing diagnoses.
Our Event Chair and one of MAYF's founding members took us back to where it all began, sharing the history of the organization and the heart behind the work. What started 20 years ago as a commitment to help local families has grown into a lifeline that continues to keep lights on, families in their homes, cars on the road, and parents focused on what matters most - their children.
Our Honorary Chairs welcomed our guests and shared another piece of MAYF history: the story behind our beloved Dessert Dash.
And what a Dessert Dash it was!
Our bakers went all out. Our donors came out swinging. Our emcee/auctioneer did not let up. And an anonymous donor with a serious sweet tooth made the night even sweeter by matching everything raised during the dessert auction.
The result?
Desserts went for anywhere from $700 to an incredible $4,600.
It was our best Dessert Dash ever.
The evening also gave us an opportunity to honor the people who helped make these past 20 years possible. We recognized our founding families—the Penners, Wastells, and Mansfields—with handcrafted blown-glass awards featuring a gold ribbon entwined within each piece. Their legacies will continue through three scholarships established in their honor for young people affected by childhood cancer.
And someone went home with a truly unforgettable auction win: one generous donor will soon be driving one of Peter Fink's prized possessions!
But the biggest number of the night isn't an auction bid or a fundraising total.
It's what happens next.
Because of this one celebration, Lanterns of Hope will be able to bash more than 750 bills for 129 families facing childhood cancer and other serious diagnoses—and provide scholarships for young people whose lives have been changed by childhood cancer.
That means hundreds of moments when a family can say:
The electric bill is handled.
The rent is covered.
The car payment is taken care of.
We can focus on our child.
Twenty years ago, a small group of people believed they could make life a little easier for families going through the unimaginable.
Twenty years later, an entire community showed up to prove that mission is stronger than ever.
Thank you to every sponsor, donor, baker, volunteer, auction bidder, board member, founding family, Ambassador Family, and guest who made our Golden Birthday Bash a smashing success.
The name may be changing.
The light is only getting brighter.
Welcome to the next chapter.
Lanterns of Hope
Lighting the way for families when they need it most.
