Opportunity Enterprises (OE) hosted its 30th annual Gala April 22 at Blue Chip Casino. Presented by Delta Theta Tau, Gala is a chance for community members and stakeholders to gather in support of OE’s mission and hear about the impact OE has throughout Northwest Indiana. With silent and live auctions, as well as a paddle raise, the event also serves as the organization’s premier fundraising event.
President and CEO Neil Samahon addressed the audience of nearly 700 - OE’s largest gala to date. Joking that his tenure has lasted “about one pandemic,” Samahon noted he was approaching his four-year anniversary leading the organization and thanked everyone in attendance for their support. The theme of Samahon’s speech was “hope,” and he mentioned a number of projects OE is completing in order to serve a wider range of clients, including Lakeside Respite Center at Lake Eliza, an accessible treehouse, Corporate Inclusivity Consulting and Camp Lakeside, a day camp for children of all abilities in the region. He also revealed the organization will soon begin serving people with dementia through its day programs.
Samahon also took the occasion to talk about the future of OE. He unveiled the organization’s new mission and vision statements, which highlight the important role inclusion plays in providing hope to communities.
Other speakers included OE Board Chair John Freyek and Respite Capital Campaign Co-Chairs Marc and Traci Ruiz, who discussed at length the accessible treehouse OE is building at its Lakeside property. The treehouse is being constructed by Pete Nelson’s Nelson Treehouse & Supply, which was featured in the television show Treehouse Masters from 2013 - 2018. Libbi, an employee of OE’s SecureShred, spoke about how working for the company has given her skills and confidence in herself.
The title sponsor of OE’s Gala was M&S Collision Centers in partnership with Enterprise. This year’s 30th Annual Gala helped to raise $407,094 for OE’s mission and quality programs that serve the entire Northwest Indiana Region. Other sponsors of OE’s Gala include Urschel Giving and Steel Cities Steels, Inc. at the Believe level, and the following at the Hope level: Diversified Marketing Strategies, Friends of Opportunity Enterprises, Holladay Properties, NIPSCO, Peoples Bank Community First, Plina Trucking, Precision Control Systems and the Times Media Company of NWI. Visit oegala.com for a complete list of sponsors.
