The 2021 Circle of Friends Gala Is CFCS’s Biggest Fundraiser Ever!
Last year, because of the pandemic, we weren’t able to hold our annual Circle of Friends Gala. This was disappointing on so many levels! The Gala, besides being our largest fundraiser of the year, is also when friends and supporters from all corners of our community come together to celebrate CFCS, recognize the amazing work of our staff and clients, and have fun together. We knew that this year’s Gala would have to be different from past years’. It would be smaller, and we wouldn’t be able to see each other face to face. But it would still be an important opportunity to honor the work of our staff and bring our community together.
We had no idea our very first (and hopefully only) virtual Gala would turn out to be CFCS's most successful fundraising event in our entire 147-year history! Our amazing friends and supporters came together, despite these isolating times, to offer bountiful support of our agency. We had the privilege of receiving sponsorships not only from wonderful local businesses across Greater Boston, but from individual supporters as well. That’s why, at the bottom of this post, we’re recognizing every single individual donor and 2021 Gala sponsor. Their support enables us to change the lives of youth and families across Massachusetts for the better, every day.
For those of you who couldn’t make it to our Gala, please enjoy this story we shared during the program. Tripp is a young man living with severe autism. His family has made a lifelong commitment to provide a safe, loving home to Tripp, which is a choice that is not always available to families of children with disabilities. CFCS has supported his family for years as they work to provide Tripp with a healthy, fulfilling life.
Cambridge Savings Bank was our primary Gala sponsor (as they have traditionally been), leading with a $25,000 Visionary sponsorship. In further celebration of the evening, CSB generously offered an additional (!) $25,000 match of donations made during the Gala. That match helped us raise over $50,000 – in barely a few minutes! Cambridge Savings Bank has been an invaluable supporter of CFCS for many years, and we look forward to working with them for many more.
That partnership is one of the reasons why we were proud to honor Cambridge Savings Bank President & CEO Wayne Patenaude with the 2021 Avon Children’s Friend Award. Wayne is an exemplary leader in the Cambridge and Greater Boston business communities, and it’s thanks to his dedication to our mission that we can operate at a level of excellence for our clients. You can learn more about Wayne and Cambridge Savings Bank’s support of our agency in the linked video below:
Thank you to our 2021 Circle of Friends Gala donors and sponsors!
Visionary
Platinum
Premier
Benefactor
Builder
Silver
Leader
Personal Sponsors and Other Donors
Wayne and Kim Patenaude
Joseph Giso
Martin Cafasso Design
Gerry Fine and Vicki LeFevre
Anne Holtzworth
Sally and Terry Martin
Cambridgeside Partners
Erika Eurkus and Fred Pretorius
Robert P. Gittens
Michael and Elia Gilles
Lisa A. Rodericks
Elizabeth Keating
Susan and Charles Spurlock
Patricia Lorsch
William and Sandee Mostyn
Debra Wekstein and David Kravitz
Debjani and Sanjeev Banerji
Michael and Kathy Costello
James Coughlin
Donna Latson Gittens
Kimberly and Richard Goldstein
Neal and Leigh Hesler
Michael Lindgren
Margaret Martin
MIT Federal Credit Union
Gilda M. Nogueira
C. Brendan Noonan and Company, Inc.
Robert and Joan Reardon
Ellen Semonoff
Nicole and Brandon Wolanski
Doug Yoffe / Cambridge Prime Properties
iHeart Media
Mary Ann Pesce
Ara Krafian
Beth and Jeff Kreidenweis
Laverty Lohnes Properties
Lilo Social
Laura Perille
Anne Cushman
Carol Sexton
Carl and Marjory Wunsch
Sarah Affel
Greg Costello-McFeat
Matthew Gittens
Linda K. Grace
Benjamin Griffiths
Eric Lightcap
Maria Mossaides and Nicholas Apostola
John Myers
Lisa Peterson
Mark Roopenian
Harborne Stuart
American Alarm and Communications, Inc.
Jeffrey Davidson and Anja Shafer
David P. Maher
Dennis O'Donnell
Steve Kumins
Lajiah Kirby
Jonah Comstock
Beckey Fischer
Robert Peck and Brenda Beaton
Mary Ann Cronin
Kevin Chaves
Jeri Foutter
Goldberg Weiner Realty LLC
Courtney Gomez
Ellen Kearns
John Andrew Krausert
Elizabeth McNelis
Sarah Medrano-Palmer
Susan Rooney
Erik Servies
Leroy Smith and Kaesta Campbell-Smith
Denise Latson Janey
Terence Connors
Steven Esielonis
Allyson Gittens
Beth Simon
Heidi Steinert
Thara Young
Rachel Benedict
Mary-Helen Black
Brendan and Noreen Dolan
Karen Freeman
Claudia Majetich
Isabel Raskin