On September 21st at the historic Merrimon-Wynne House in downtown Raleigh, we were joined by 37 sponsors and 200 individuals from our community to create a night of support, awareness, and hope. We came together under the string lights and setting sun in downtown Raleigh. We welcomed old friends and new, shared life updates and project highlights, and most importantly, listened when we needed to. In addition to the amazing setting, guests were able to bid on auction and raffle items before sitting down for the evening’s program.
After a sunset cocktail hour, we welcomed Jeremy Wall to the podium as our emcee for the evening. Jeremy, a Raleigh native who now uses his education and knowledge to build purpose-driven companies and communities as a force for good, introduced himself to the crowd and touched briefly on his connections with CASA. Guests went on to hear from Everett McElveen (CASA CEO) who engaged the crowd with his insightful questions that brought homelessness into a new perspective for the audience. Sharonda Arnold Ocean, CASA’s Board Chair, wrapped up the evening with an emotional story of her childhood and her own connection to homelessness.
This one-night-a-year event allows us to tell CASA’s story. It allows us to talk about our community, our work, and why we fight so hard to make the Triangle a better place. It allows us to carry on our mission year after year. Our fall fundraiser is all these things, but most importantly, the funds that are raised from this event allow CASA to keep rents low and housing safe for our 500+ tenants across Wake, Durham, and Orange Counties.
This year’s fundraiser raised over $155,000 which allows us to keep our existing tenants safe and stable in their homes while we work to build even more affordable housing. For those who sponsored, donated, played the raffle or auction, attended the event, shared our social posts, or simply cheered us on, Thank You for your unwavering support.
