A new location and the addition of comedy and live music will highlight the 9 th Annual “Signatures, Sports and Spirit” gala which will be held to benefit Special Olympics Kentucky on Saturday, Jan. 26. This year’s event moves to the Mellwood Arts and Entertainment Center, located at 1860 Mellwood Ave.
Featuring 6 continuous hours of fun, this semi-formal celebration begins at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception and the opening of the bidding for the silent auction. A buffet dinner provided by Bristol Catering will begin at 7pm. Comedian Rich Ragains will perform at 7:30 just ahead of a Special Olympics presentation which will be followed by the live auction. The evening concludes with music by popular local band Thumper and the Plaid Rabbits.
A sampling of the items in the live and silent auction include: a Private Party for 10 aboard a luxury yacht with cocktails and dinner, a Maker’s Mark Distillery and VIP Tour, a Texas Roadhouse Steak Dinner Party and a Broilmaster Grill to keep, an autographed University of Kentucky football, a VIP Package for Thunder Over Louisville, an Ultimate Las Vegas Getaway with a tour of the Grand Canyon, a Customized Granite Countertop, a Chicago Bulls autographed basketball, Season Tickets to Louisville Fire Arena Football, several massage packages, a Cincinnati Reds weekend getaway a Valhalla flagstick autographed by Paul Azinger and a Tayshaun Prince autographed Detroit Pistons jersey. Auctioneers Kenny Lewis and Mark Haynes are guaranteed to deliver one of the area’s most entertaining auctions while garnering meaningful funding to support the mission of Special Olympics Kentucky. Funds raised provide year-round sports training and competition programs for thousands of adults and children in Kentucky with intellectual disabilities.
Also, Heaven Hill Distillery will provide a Pama and Hypnotiq cocktail tasting station during the event.
The Ninth Annual Signatures, Sports and Spirit is co-chaired by Louisville Attorney Mike Jackson of Boehl, Stopher and Graves & Todd Loehnert of Wells Fargo of Kentucky and is organized by a committee of area professionals who volunteer their time to plan this special event. The event is presented by Wells Fargo and Bristol Catering, and co-sponsored by BB&T, Baptist Hospital Northeast, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Mountjoy and Bressler, PNC Bank and Texas Roadhouse. Last year’s event raised more than $65,000 for Special Olympics Kentucky and in just eight years, the event has generated nearly $550,000 for Special Olympics.
Table sponsorships and individual tickets are still available. For more information about the Special Olympics Celebration and Auction or to donate an item, contact Candace Thompson, at 502-326-5002 in Louisville or 800-633-7403, or via e-mail at cthompson@soky.org.
