Autism Council of Utah's Blue Carpet Gala

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to serve as one of the Autism Council of Utah's (ACU) fundraising committee chairpersons. I get to work with incredibly talented brilliant women ( Cheryl Smith, Laura Anderson, Amy Baker and Amanda Patten), who are making a difference in the lives of so many here in Utah.
Pam Winn, the former fundraising chair, had the inspiration to hold a Gala and this year we were able to make her inspiration and a dream of mine come to life with the help of our generous sponsors, MICHE, BRIO, Cobble Creek Countertops, UofU, Doug Smith Auto and many others.

We hosted a beautiful Blue Carpet Gala with the focus being a "spectrum" of entertainment as a reflection of the spectrum of autism. We were honored to have Jason Hewlett as our Emcee for the evening and he knocked our socks off as he does every crowd. Jason is a singer/impersonator extordinaire, check out some of his work here.

Other entertainers were One Voice Children's Choir, Shawn Rapier (comedian), Katherine Nelson (Folk singer), Kyle Kou ( Pop singer), Nelson sisters and Static and the Sound Band closed out the evening with dancing.

We all came dolled up to the nines, ate a delicious 4 course meal from Brio Tuscan Grill, laughed till our bellies ached, shed a few tears on behalf of our loved ones and danced the night away. Thank you to every one who opened your wallets and let your bank accounts show your support. This was the most successful event to date for the ACU and we look forward to raising the bar next year.

Chelsea Peterson Photography captured many of the special moments. I am so thankful to have these pictures as proof of accomplishing this dream I have had of hosting a Black Tie event for the last 15 years. It was a wonderful evening with a spectrum of friends and emotions.

Autism on a daily basis has many miracles, tantrums, laughs, and tears. This evening we were able to celebrate the friendships we share because of our common lifestyles and make a difference in the lives of many. This gives me PEACE as I hope it did for many others. 

Till next year!