Ele’s Place Ann Arbor Derby Day Soirée Postponed until Sept. 5

Ann Arbor, MI, March 17, 2020 –  Ele’s Place Ann Arbor, a healing center for grieving children, teens and their families, announced today that it is postponing its third annual Derby Day Soirée fundraiser that was set to take place on May 2, 2020 until Saturday, September 5, 2020 in Ann Arbor, to align with the rescheduled 146 ^th  Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The decision to postpone is based on strengthened guidance to limit the risk of transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19) from state, federal and global public health organizations.

“The health and well-being of the grieving children, teens and families we serve, along with our amazing staff, dedicated volunteers, generous donors, and the community-at-large are top priority for Ele’s Place Ann Arbor,” stated Bree Arvai, Interim Director at Ele’s Place Ann Arbor.

Tickets and sponsorships for the Derby Day Soirée event – now set for Sept. 5 – will be automatically honored at the rescheduled event, and ticket and sponsorship information continue to be available on the Ele’s Place Ann Arbor Derby Day Soirée website at  www.elesplaceannarbor.org . Proceeds from this event go directly to Ele’s Place Ann Arbor’s compassionate, free of charge, peer grief support programs for children, teens and their families.

While Ele’s Place Ann Arbor has temporarily closed the doors of its Home for Healing Hearts for face-to-face programming, meetings, tours, etc. to do its part in reducing exposure to COVID-19, it is important to note that Ele’s Place Ann Arbor continues to serve and support its grieving children, teens and their families in different ways. Through modern electronic conveniences – phone calls, emails, social media, etc. – social workers are virtually present and available for the families Ele’s Place Ann Arbor serves and for the volunteers who are integral to programming.

” We look forward to the day that the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and the doors to our Home for Healing Hearts are open once again,” concluded Ms. Arvai, with heartfelt emotion. ”We are grateful to our sponsors, donors and community members throughout Ann Arbor and the greater southeast Michigan area for their tremendous support of our mission – together, we will ensure that no child or teen grieves alone. We can’t wait to celebrate and enjoy an evening of Kentucky Derby festivities with everyone at our rescheduled annual fundraiser on Saturday, September 5, 2020.”

The Ele’s Place Ann Arbor Derby Day Soirée is the organization’s premiere fundraising event held annually to coincide with the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. The evening of Kentucky Derby festivities includes: big hats, bow ties, Derby-wear prizes, mint juleps, bourbon tastings, southern-inspired food stations, reserved seating for all attendees in one “Big Top” tent, live coverage of the Kentucky Derby on eight 72-inch big screen TVs, a wine toss, corn hole games, an open air photo booth, a Derby wager raffle, live and silent auctions and a Derby dance party. For more information, please visit the Ele’s Place Ann Arbor Derby Day Soirée website at  www.elesplaceannarbor.org .

Ele’s Place is a non-profit, community based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating awareness of and support for grieving children and their families, with branches in Ann Arbor, the Capital Region, Greater Flint and Genesee County and West Michigan. Ele’s Place Ann Arbor is the only nonprofit in the community and surrounding southeast Michigan region, dedicated solely to helping children and teens work with and through grief. Unfortunately, the need for its services will never go away. Unresolved grief negatively affects children and teens, contributing to alarming rates of depression, addiction and violence. The organization’s vision is to ensure no child or teen in Michigan grieves alone. For more information, please visit the Ele’s Place website at  www.elesplace.org .