E V E N T S | S C E N E | C H A RI TA B L E
SIMPLY HAPPENING
EVENTS BY:
Ginger Strejcek
DREAM MAKER STARFISH BALL BOOSTS COLLEGE GOALS OF NSORO FOUNDATION ood times will roll at the 16th annual Starfish Ball on Jan. 22 at the St. Regis Atlanta. With the theme “Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler,” the black-tie benefit for the nsoro Educational Foundation features an entertaining evening of dining and dancing in a glitzy ballroom setting with a roster of distinguished guests. Honorees Kwanza Jones and Vince Burkett will reign over festivities as the Queen and King at this year’s event, sponsored by Simply Buckhead. A musical artist and entrepreneurial powerhouse with a law degree, Jones, along with her husband José E. Feliciano, co-founded the SUPERCHARGED Initiative, a philanthropic grant-making and impact investment organization. “From the open bar to insanely exciting live and silent auction offerings, Starfish 2022 will redefine party with purpose,” says Monica Pantoja, executive director of nsoro, a nonprofit that provides college opportunities for youth aging out of the foster care system. The New Orleans-style extravaganza is a nod to the heritage of founder
Darrell Mays, who launched nsoro in 2005. The intentionally lowercased name is derived from the Ghanaian term nsoromma, meaning “children of the heavens.” All proceeds from the gala, which raised $1.3 million in 2020 and $1.2 million in 2019, benefit the foundation’s scholarship program with the ultimate goal of helping students transition from college to career. Attendees will get a first-hand look at the program’s effectiveness, as nsoro graduates share their stories. “Nsoro serves as a powerful disrupting agent for youth who are often trapped in systemic poverty and cyclical setbacks,” Pantoja says. “At nsoro, scholar success goes beyond achieving the dream of a college degree; it empowers equitable opportunities for a population of young people who reside at the edge of awareness.” Patron tickets cost $2,500 for two.
Enjoy a festive night of fundraising at the annual Starfish Ball, which helps provide educational opportunities for youth who have aged out of the foster care system. Photos: Kimberley Evans
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NSORO FOUNDATION nsoro.foundation, @nsorofoundation
November/December 2021 | Simply Buckhead
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