Cox Communications Sponsors Shelter to Soldier’s
– August 28th “Be the Light” Gala in Rancho Santa Fe
Shelter to Soldier has announced that, for the fourth year in a row, Cox Communications will be the presenting sponsor of the 9th Annual Shelter to Soldier “Be the Light,” fundraising gala which will be held on August 28th, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, located at 5951 Linea Del Cielo, Rancho Santa Fe, CA, 92067. Tickets are on sale now and selling quickly at bit.ly/bethelight9 or by visiting Shelter to Soldier’s website www.sheltertosoldier.org. Tickets are limited and early registration is encouraged. Event schedule includes small bites, beverages and silent auction, followed by seated dinner with a veteran testimonial and live auction. Event entertainment features live music by K. Emeline as well as an auction emceed by auctioneer Clint Bell. “Cox is proud to once again sponsor this event so that Shelter to Soldier can provide much-needed support to even more combat veterans,” said Michael Ford, Senior Public Affairs Specialist with Cox Communications and a Shelter to Soldier board member. “Serving on the board, I’ve seen firsthand how Shelter to Soldier is saving the lives of those who fought for us, while also saving the lives of shelter dogs. Cox is committed to supporting veterans in our community.”
Kyrié Bloem, Vice President of Shelter to Soldier explains, “Our gala is a critical component to our annual fundraising goal and contributes significantly toward the impact of our mission. We’re thrilled to be hosting our 9th Annual Be the Light Gala, fully outdoors, under the stars at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe and to be joined again in-person by our generous supporters who make our program possible. Above all, we’re looking forward to reaching our fundraising goal of $110,000 to make an impact in the lives of the shelter dogs and veterans served by our program. Our veterans and their families have given so much of themselves to protect our country, and this event is a small but meaningful way that we can give back to them.”
Ticket prices are $250 for individual gala tickets, which includes beer from Second Chance Beer Co., wine, Cutwater Spirits and Shelter to Soldier specialty cocktails along with plated dinner and swag bag at registration. Table reservations for eight guests start at $2,000. Live auction offerings are certain to provide one-of-a-kind experiences for winning bidders while raising critical funds for the cause. Signature auction items include dinner for eight with wine and cocktails at Herb & Sea prepared by Bravo’s Top Chef, Brian Malarkey, a one-week stay in a Presidential Suite for New Year’s Eve 2021 in Aspen, CO and a live painting experience with Amy Burkman.
In-kind donations to both the live and silent auctions are also welcomed by emailing [email protected].
Furthermore, sponsorship packages are still available and include supplemental exposure with an anticipated guest count of approximately 200 attendees. Additional sponsors (as of this writing) include sold-out Gold Sponsors Griffin Funding and UNITE Hair; Silver Sponsor Avion Law; Bronze Sponsors Sycuan Casino Resort, Blue Doors Counseling, and Autumn Communications; Car Showcase Sponsor Wilsey Asset Management; Beverage Sponsors Cutwater Spirits and Second Chance Beer Co., and event partners Ranch & Coast Magazine and Redfearn & Associates. Other underwriting opportunities still available include Specialty Cocktail Sponsor (with the option to customize the cocktail name to reflect sponsoring company), Floral Sponsor (to assist in providing floral décor for the event) and Radiance Sponsor, the capacity to support event lighting in coordination with the theme “Be the Light”, among others.
For those donors who are unable to attend the Shelter to Soldier Gala in person, they may fund a veteran and service dog, as well as his/her guest, to attend the gala and their generosity will be recognized at the event. Tickets, table reservations and sponsorships can be purchased online at bit.ly/bethelight9.
Aaron Neely, USN and Liberty, STS Service Dog.
Photo credit: Monica Hoover Photography
About Shelter to Soldier
Shelter to Soldier is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other psychological injuries.
Shelter to Soldier Co Founder, Graham Bloem is the recipient of the American Red Cross Real Heroes Award, 10News Leadership Award, CBS8 News Change It Up Award, Honeywell Life Safety Award, and the 2016 Waggy Award. Additionally, Shelter to Soldier is accredited by the Patriot’s Initiative.
To learn more about veteran-support services provided by STS, call 760-870-5338 for a confidential interview regarding eligibility.