BigHouse holds Support Dinner to unite community

The BigHouse Foundation held a Support Dinner on March 26 at the Marriott Grand National to raise funds and share its mission supporting foster and adoptive families in East Alabama.

The BigHouse Foundation held a Support Dinner at the Marriott Grand National on March 26 to raise funds, expand awareness and share its mission of supporting foster and adoptive families in East Alabama. The evening included a plated dinner, a silent auction and several speakers, including families served by the organization and staff or volunteers. Founder and Executive Director Micah Melnick said the dinner aims to introduce BigHouse to new supporters and to build long-term donor relationships. BigHouse was founded in 2010 and the organization reported serving over 12,000 children in Alabama's foster care system through its programs. Event details: - The Support Dinner served as a key fundraising event to secure corporate sponsorships and auction items for programs such as Kids' Night Out and special events. - Program elements included a silent auction hall, table hosts for seated dinner service, and speakers who shared perspectives from families, staff, volunteers and partners. - Organizers said they set a goal to host 30 tables and reported meeting that target after previously having 25 tables the prior year. - Event sponsors and table sponsors named in coverage included Pearson and Lauren Alsobrook, Day Structures, Richard and Brittany Oden, Southern Pride Landscaping and Maintenance, the Haywood Family, the Konopatzke Family, Take Flight Tutoring and Coaching, Walton Law Firm, Carr, Riggs and Ingram and others. - At the dinner BigHouse launched sign-up for the BigHouse Hustle, described as a virtual challenge that aims to recruit community members to log 31, 65 or 100 miles over 31 days while raising funds and receiving a t-shirt and group support. Summary: The Support Dinner is described by organizers as the foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year and an opportunity to connect donors, businesses and families. The event reportedly met its table goal and featured stories from families served by BigHouse. Organizers launched the BigHouse Hustle as a next-step engagement effort to continue community involvement.