Ele’s Place Ann Arbor Derby Day Soirée Transitions to Virtual Experience

Ele’s Place Ann Arbor, a healing center for grieving children, teens and their families, announced today that it is reimagining its 3 ^rd  Annual fundraiser into a virtual experience named  Derby Day Soirée @ Your Place ! This entertaining online event will take place on Saturday, September 5, 2020, and aligns with the timing of the rescheduled 146 ^th  Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

“This year, to ensure the health and safety of all Ele’s Place Ann Arbor donors, sponsors, staff, volunteers and the community-at-large, we are thrilled to transition our annual fundraiser into a virtual experience! On Saturday, September 5 ^th , we invite you to support Ele’s Place Ann Arbor by joining us from the comfort of your own home while hosting a  Derby Day Soirée @ Your Place ,” stated Bree Arvai, Interim Director at Ele’s Place Ann Arbor.

Everyone interested in supporting Ele’s Place Ann Arbor must register at  www.elesplaceannarbor.org , and is encouraged to host a  Derby Day Soirée @ Your Place  by inviting family, friends and neighbors (while social distancing, of course) to join them for this one-of-a-kind fundraising experience benefitting the grieving children, teens and families the organization serves. In addition, during online registration there is an opportunity to add to the  Derby Day Soirée @ Your Place  festivities with the purchase of a Party in a Box that includes southern-inspired hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

This virtual fundraising experience includes approximately 1-1/2 hours of entertainment and engagement, and is scheduled to begin at 6:30pm, or 20 minutes prior to LIVE coverage of the Kentucky Derby Post Time. (Please note, the Kentucky Derby Post Time is currently scheduled at 6:50pm, and is subject to change.)

Stacey Bodner, Events Coordinator at Ele’s Place Ann Arbor, added with southern charm and a spark of enthusiasm, “Of course, “people watching” will still be at its best, so we hope you and your guests will join in the festivities and theme by sharing photos of everyone all dressed up in their Derby duds on our group chat platform. Fabulous prizes will be given for “Best Hat,” “Best Dressed Couple,” and “Best Individual Attire!”

Intermingled in the  Derby Day Soirée @ Your Place  experience, registered guests will learn more about Ele’s Place Ann Arbor and the compassionate, supportive work its program staff and volunteers provide to grieving children, teens and families FREE OF CHARGE, from a line-up of special guests and long-time sponsors. Most important, attendees will have the opportunity to help Ele’s Place Ann Arbor continue its mission in this community by participating in its silent auction, bidding on some amazing live auction packages, and making donations online and via text – all to support the event’s $250,000 fundraising goal!

“We look forward to the day that the pandemic subsides, the doors to our Home for Healing Hearts are open once again, and we are safely able to conduct programming, meetings and tours in-person,” concluded Ms. Arvai. “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 – thank you for standing by Ele’s Place Ann Arbor, as we stand by grieving children, teens and their families. We can’t wait to share this amazing virtual experience filled with Kentucky Derby festivities with you on Saturday, September 5, 2020.”

In keeping with the Ele’s Place Ann Arbor Derby Day Soirée annual tradition, the  Derby Day Soirée @ Your Place remains the organization’s premiere fundraising event, and coincides with the rescheduled Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, September 5, 2020. The  Derby Day Soirée @ Your Place  still offers an entertaining evening of Kentucky Derby festivities –  virtually, from the comfort of your home  – including: live coverage of the Kentucky Derby, big hats, bow ties, Derby-wear prizes, an option to purchase a Party in a Box (southern-inspired food), live and silent auctions, and the lively annual paddle raise. For more information AND to register for the  Derby Day Soirée @ Your Place , please visit  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 Ann Arbor community and surrounding southeast Michigan region, dedicated solely to helping children and teens work with and through grief. 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 multiple virtual ways. 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.