Events

SIMPLY HAPPENING

EVENTS

BY: Ginger Strejcek

DREAM MAKER

STARFISH BALL BOOSTS COLLEGE GOALS OF NSORO FOUNDATION

Good 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.

NSORO FOUNDATION 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.

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Winter Wonderland

SANDY SPRINGS LIGHTS UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Watch from the sidelines or join the Sparkle Brigade as Sandy Springs shows off its holiday spirit.

’Tis the season for some elfin magic at Sparkle Sandy Springs, a month-long celebration that kicks off with a holiday parade at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, along with a tree lighting, menorah lighting, snow machines, food trucks, free hot cocoa and photo opportunities with Santa on the City Green at City Springs. The festive presentation also features a twinkling display of 20 decorated playhouses, strung with lights and painted by local businesses, schools and nonprofits. Creative designs of the 6-foot-tall miniatures range from a gingerbread house to Snoopy’s doghouse.

“Sparkle Sandy Springs has become a highlight of the winter holidays,” says Mayor Rusty Paul. “We kept it going last season by having the spectators drive by in parade formation while the floats, bands and other entertainers were in fixed locations, and it generated twice the expected turnout. We hope to return to a more traditional parade [this year], depending on the public health requirements at that time.”

TEDXPACEACADEMY: THE FORCE OF WORDS Nov. 14

paceacademy.org Get schooled at this TEDx event from 2-4 p.m. on the campus of Pace Academy in Buckhead, featuring 10 dynamic speakers, including Pace students and teachers, as well as Heisman trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, National Geographic photographer Kristi Odom, musician Melvin Myles and Rabbi Micah Lapidus. Topics range from the social stigma of wearing hearing aids to random acts of kindness. Catch it on YouTube afterward.

LIGHT UP DUNWOODY Nov. 21

dunwoodyga.org/light-up-dunwoody Ring in the holidays at CheekSpruill Farmhouse with scheduled activities from 3-6 p.m. at the historic hotspot on Chamblee Dunwoody Road. A community tradition, the annual event is capped with the lighting of the tree and menorah just after sunset.

JINGLE BELL RUN Dec. 11

arthritis.org/events/jbr Show off those crazy Christmas socks at this festive fundraiser for the Arthritis Foundation at Brook Run Park in Dunwoody. The event features a timed and untimed 5K, with T-shirt and jingle bell swag, as well as a virtual Jingle in Your Jammies option. Every penny goes toward finding a cure.

BELIEVE BALL 2022 Jan. 15

believeball.org Support the powerful mission of CURE Childhood Cancer at this eighth annual benefit at The St. Regis Atlanta, kicking off at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed by silent and live auctions, a seated dinner with program and late night dancing with a live band. Long-time advocates Pat and Sylvia Tylka of Atlanta will be honored with the Ragab Spirit of Hope Award. To date, the event has raised more than $6.5 million for pediatric cancer.

SPARKLE SANDY SPRINGS

sandyspringsga.gov/events @sandyspringsga

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Green Screen

Grab a seat on the Plaza Green at The Battery Atlanta for free weekly screenings of family-friendly flicks this fall.

BATTERY ATLANTA HOSTS OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES

THE BATTERY ATLANTA

Load up the kids and head to The Battery Atlanta for some free family fun at the Xfinity Fall Movie Series, with screenings under the stars on the Plaza Green at 7 p.m. on Fridays now through Dec. 10.

Catch “Trolls” Nov. 5, “Land of the Lost” Nov. 12, “The Muppet Movie” Nov. 19, “Jurassic World” Dec. 3 and “The Grinch” Dec. 10. Programming switches to Saturday night on Nov. 27 for Christmas Tree Lighting festivities followed by the movie “Abominable.”

Bring a blanket or lawn chair and grab to-go food from the on-site restaurants, including El Super Pan, PH’EAST and Wahlburgers. Coolers, outside alcoholic beverages and glass containers are not permitted.

“The movie series is a fan-favorite event that our guests look forward to every year,” says Lauren Abernethy, senior director of marketing for Braves Development Company. “It’s just one example of how The Battery Atlanta is committed to providing a year-round experiential environment for locals and visitors.”

batteryatl.com @batteryatl

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