Julie Campoy and Jim and Gail Ellis were among those who enjoyed the organization’s Festival of Fall fundraiser in 2019. This year’s virtual event will be held on Sunday evening, Sept. 13.
AbilityFirst’s 2020 Festival of Fall “Comes to You” fundraiser, presented by Chubb, is aimed at bringing the spirit of a live food and beverage festival along with a community-centric atmosphere into participants’ homes home on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m.
This year’s interactive, virtual version of Festival of Fall will include gourmet cuisine prepared by top chefs, including Michael Hung of Los Angeles’ Faith & Flower, Lawry’s the Prime Rib and Gale’s Restaurant in Pasadena. The meals will be paired with a signature cocktail by Nathan Baker from Pasadena’s the Raymond 1886 and specially selected wines, all while raising funds for AbilityFirst programs supporting people with disabilities.
VIP ticket holders, table hosts and sponsors will each receive an exclusive, behind-the-scenes virtual tour of Pasadena’s historic Laurabelle A. Robinson Estate, which is rarely open to the public. The home was commissioned in 1905 by financier Henry Robinson and his wife, Laurabelle, and was designed by famous Pasadena architects Greene and Greene.
This year’s virtual Festival of Fall will be aired live on AbilityFirst’s YouTube channel, Facebook, and at various homes throughout Los Angeles County.
Ticketing options include:
• VIP tickets — Exclusive access to a one-of-a-kind tour of the Robinson Estate as well as a special DIY pizza kit from Blaze Pizza and six-pack of beer from Golden Road Brewing.
• Tables — Gather your friends in a socially distanced and safe space in the privacy of your own home for delivered gourmet meals for two to eight guests from participating top restaurants, and a tour of the Robinson Estate.
• Sponsorships — Support AbilityFirst programs with a sponsorship and receive heightened visibility before, during and after the Festival of Fall event. Additional benefits include delivered gourmet meals from top restaurants and a behind-the-scenes virtual tour of the Robinson Estate.
• General admission — “General admission is complimentary this year, so come enjoy the evening presentation and featured videos from the comfort of your very own home,” an event spokesperson said. “Join the fun by entering the online silent auction and sharing photos with the hashtag #AbilityFirstFOF.”
Proceeds from the event will directly benefit AbilityFirst, which provides a variety of programs designed “to help people with disabilities achieve their full potential throughout their lives,” the spokesperson said. “AbilityFirst does this by creating targeted programming to help an individual successfully transition from childhood to adult life; providing employment preparation, training, and experience; building social connections and independence; and offering both the participants and their caregivers an opportunity to refresh and recharge through their recreational activities.
“AbilityFirst’s person-centered programs empower individuals to discover what is important to them in their lives, and to develop the skills that are important for them to achieve their goals.”
The AbilityFirst Festival of Fall is made possible through the support of presenting sponsor Chubb, bistro sponsor Union Bank, and café sponsors J’s Maids and Rotary Club of Beverly Hills, and others.
To purchase tickets, receive information or learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit abilityfirst.org or call (626) 243-4845.
