LOS ANGELES, November 9, 2017 – Hillsides, a Southern California foster care charity, is pleased to announce that long-time Hillsides supporters Joan McCarthy and John Gong will co-chair the Hillsides 2018 gala, La Nuit des Rêves. The French-themed gala, Hillsides’ largest fundraiser of the year, will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena.
This year’s gala name translates into “The Night of Dreams.” McCarthy came up with the idea on a recent trip to France. “I wanted to bring the cultural richness of France into the gala without sacrificing the importance of Hillsides’ mission of making children’s dreams come true,” she said. “So many of the 14,000 children, youth, and families Hillsides serves have lived through nightmares, and with the funds the gala raises, we want to help the children achieve their visions of happiness and security.”
McCarthy and Gong are focused on throwing both a fun and financially successful gala. “This gala, while celebratory, has a very meaningful purpose –it’s about showing up and making a difference,” said Gong. “We want to put people in the mind to give.”
McCarthy has served on the Hillsides board and several gala committees. In 2005, she was awarded a Hillsides Community Angel Award. McCarthy is also active with many other charitable and civic boards, including the Burbank and Glendale Chambers of Commerce and the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity Advisory Council, which awarded her the Ace Cain Humanitarian Award in 2010.
Gong has been involved with Hillsides for more than 20 years as a board member and as the driving force behind one of Hillsides’ three support groups, the Hillsides Volunteer Network. Gong received the Hillsides Angel Award in 2015. He is also involved with several other nonprofits and community-based organizations such as the Burbank Cultural Arts Foundation and Los Angeles Team Mentoring.
Tickets for La Nuit des Rêves are $300. There are many opportunities for organizations and individuals to sponsor the event or donate auction packages. To learn more about different levels of support and the benefit of contributing to the gala, please contact Bernie Gore, Hillsides special events coordinator at 323-543-2800, ext. 253 or bgore@hillsides.org.
About Hillsides
Hillsides is dedicated to healing children and young adults, strengthening families, and transforming communities through quality comprehensive services and advocacy. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the agency serves 14,000 children and families in Southern California throughout more than 40 sites, including school-based mental health offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Baldwin Park. Foster care and adoptions services are offered in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. To learn more about Hillsides, please visit www.Hillsides.org. Visit Hillsides on Facebook @hillsideschildren, on Twitter @Hillsides, or on Instagram @HillsidesPasadena.
