Associated Black Charities (ABC) is thrilled to announce the return of their in-person fundraising gala on Friday, June 10th. For the first time in three years ABC staff, supporters and sponsors will gather to uplift their work towards closing the racial wealth gap in Maryland. Long-time attendees of the yearly gala will find themselves at a brand-new venue, as the event will take place on the Baltimore waterfront at the Sagamore Spirit distillery campus in Port Covington. Tickets are available at abc-md.org.
The dinner program will also boast a refreshed format. With an event theme of “A Night to Remember – Elevating & Celebrating Baltimore’s Black Workers”, Black employees from around the region will be honoured with a video presentation, special remarks, and recognition in the Program booklet. April Watts, veteran on-air radio personality, print journalist, and influencer, will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies. Special activities including distillery tours, jazz band, and a cigar lounge will fill out the memorable evening.
When reflecting upon the themes and initiatives that ABC would undertake for 2022 programming, they shared that “Corporate citizens must make advancing equity a priority within their operational culture and business strategies. Our communities are dependent on such shifts for economic recovery and for the Black and Brown workers who have been historically underrepresented in the corporate landscape.” Fundraising celebrations such as the annual gala significantly help to underwrite the transformative changes that ABC is determined to make in Baltimore’s economy.
Numerous corporate and nonprofit companies have signed on to publicly partner with ABC across this and other 2022 signature events. Lead sponsors of the gala currently include Wells Fargo, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and GBMC Healthcare, with The Afro-American Newspapers serving as ABC’s exclusive 2022 media sponsor. Other sponsors include The Cordish Companies, Truist, Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, The Shelter Foundation, MedStar Health, Whiting-Turning Contracting Company, Brown Capital, Chesapeake Employers Insurance, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and The Abell Foundation. Sponsorships are still available and may be secured by contacting development@abc-md.org.
