Founder's Gala

In November of last year, I looked into putting together a photography fundraising event with proceeds benefiting a local charity in Wilmington. I contacted the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Foundation to see if I could donate to the Betty H. Cameron Women's & Children's Hospital.

After talking with a few fantastic individuals in the foundation office, I learned about an annual event - The Founder's Gala. The Gala is an annual black-tie event bringing together, monetary donors to the foundation, doctors, nurses and physicians. The event is open to corporate sponsors and proceeds from the fundraiser benefit various departments within the hospital. This year, money raised benefits the Betty H. Cameron Women's and Children's Hospital. What a perfect fit!

I talked with foundation members and the gala committee regarding logistics and we decided it would be great to photograph children in the community born at New Hanover, some of whom began their lives in the neonatal intensive care unit. I planned to donate twenty framed photographs to the foundation for display at the Gala on January 24. The photographs would include children, mother with child and pregnancy poses. Parents would have an opportunity to purchase the photographs with all proceeds going to the foundation. Those not purchased would decorate the walls in the Women's and Children's hospital.

In late November and into early December, I photographed fourteen wonderful families. I was able to meet and work with children of all ages and parents excited about the event. The gala committee members were eager to assist and just as excited as I to see the final product.

On January 23, my husband and I arrived at the Coastline Convention Center, the venue for the event, with twenty framed photographs: ten 18x24's and ten 20x24's. For the next few hours, all twenty were hung on the walls while committee members and volunteers decorated for the event the following evening.

I had an idea of the decor and the overall theme of the event but, arriving on the 24th and stepping inside, I was blown away. The decor was amazing, the lighting elegant and romantic. The evening was quite special.

My hope in donating the photographs was to emphasize children, capture their innocence and call to mind the need to keep children safe, cared for and healthy.

It was lovely to be apart of the Founder's Gala this year. I look forward to participating and hosting more fundraisers in the future to benefit our local charities.

Lara Schuhmann