Evening of Dreams At-Home Gala: Recap

December 10, 2020

This year was Adeara’s first year hosting an at-home fundraising event! Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our regular formal Evening of Dreams Gala hosting up to 600 people was cancelled, and a virtual experience took its place. While it was a different gala than the one we are familiar with, it was an incredible opportunity to use modern technology to show what Adeara is like behind the scenes.

We had over 100 people watching simultaneously on the night of the gala, November 20, 2020. Within the next few days, the gala had already reached over 600 views! We were also pleasantly surprised to see several positive connections take place over the live chat as the gala went on, and heard lots of encouraging comments for our residents and staff through that venue.

In terms of fundraising, the gala produced a fraction of its typical fundraising capability. And that is the nature of online events–while we were delighted to have more eyes and ears learn about Adeara more deeply, our team knew that the format would not provide the opportunity for personal engagement and connection as an in-person event would.

We are also looking forward to sharing the content from the gala as individual, stand-alone pieces. For example, Recovery Coffee, which was featured as a community partner in the gala, is officially launched in Alberta, and we can now repurpose the footage from the gala to promote the coffee in a shorter video.

The virtual Evening of Dreams gala of 2020 challenged our ability to adapt to new circumstances and taught us how to connect with our audience in a new way. We are delighted at the outcome, despite it not bringing in the financial support we’ve received in previous years, and enjoyed collaborating with local artists and businesses to make it happen.

The Community that Made it Happen

We’d like to thank Etoroma Creative for putting together the music, shooting and editing all the video, and helping us bring it online. Thank you to Everyother Studio, who created the amazing animations between scenes and animated videos, and Cineflair, who produced the Monthly Donor Video commercials that were also featured. We’d also like to thank our special features: The Wall Coffee Roasters, More Than a Fad thrift store, and Anchored Collective (with their song “Redemption Love” closing the evening). And of course, a huge thank you to our staff and residents who so vulnerably shared their testimonies and connection to Adeara. It was Cheyanne, Zainab and Kristen who made the night so powerful to many.

Watch the At-Home Gala Anytime

We have left the gala on YouTube for anyone to watch in its entirety, anytime! To do so, go to the link below (or search Adeara Recovery Centre on YouTube) and watch the Evening of Dreams virtual gala. If you’re touched by the content, please consider sharing it with those around you. It’s through the individual support of the community around us that Adeara can continue its life-changing work. Thank you all for your support, and we hope to see you in person at the Evening of Dreams gala next year!