About
Join us for a night of fun and fundraising as we gather to honor our mothers and caregivers! The annual JDRF Gala is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the T1D community while raising critical funds for T1D research. This year, we are especially excited to recognize the ones that we couldn’t do it without, our incredible mothers and caregivers! The Mother of all Galas will feature a seated dinner, silent and live auctions, our signature Fund a Cure program, and of course an after party! We hope you will join us for this incredible night and help us drive life changing research for the T1D community!
Event Leadership
Chelsea Vail
Co-Chair
Read MoreChelsea Vail
Co-Chair
In 2018, a few months before my 30th birthday, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. At that time, my knowledge about the disease was limited, but I quickly learned what it takes to survive and live each day with it. A year after my diagnosis, I decided to form a JDRF Walk team as a way to learn more while also giving back to the community.
As my involvement with JDRF deepened, in 2020 I joined the Board of Directors, discovering new avenues to contribute my time and talents to an organization driven by volunteers that provides significant support to the T1D community. Last year, my partner Jeffry and I made the move to Greenville, and we’ve been enjoying exploring our new city. Outside of JDRF, I work as an Area Director of Sales with Parks Hospitality Group, supporting our hotels in Columbia and Greenville.
I am truly honored to co-chair this year’s gala with Tammy Malone, aiming to showcase what The Mother of All Galas can achieve for Type 1 Diabetes fundraising.
Tammy Malone
Co-Chair
Read MoreTammy Malone
Co-Chair
My T1D connection is my son Matt who has been living with diabetes for over thirty years and was diagnosed at 8 years of age. I have been involved with JDRF for many years.
I am a board member of JDRF SC and a volunteer on gala committees as well as the “One Walk”. I am an advocate and encourage T1Ds and their families to advocate for themselves and the T1D commmunity.
As I look back over more than 30 years of JDRF Research there have been so many great strides in improving the lives of diabetics and making everyday life for people more manageable. I continue to look forward to the research success.
It’s gala time! As we come together for the statewide gala it is a great time to be together in support of our T1D community. My favorite part of the evening is when we all have the opportunity to raise our paddles in support of “FUND A CURE” with 100% of donations going to support research. Let’s raise our paddles on May 11th to support not only our T1D community of South Carolina but all those who are living with T1D. Look forward to seeing you all at the gala for a great night!
Jared Back
Sandi Boyer
Wilkes Brown
Shannon Bruning
Stephanie Carroll
Cathy Chang
Jerry Chang
Cathy Christy
Lillian Fant – Decor Chair
Courtney Fincher-Foster
Riley Fincher-Foster
Lindsay Graham
Donny Harris
Emily Keys
Kris Knopf
Caroline Leadmon
Kristina Loughrey – Media Chair
Alex Roy
Eliza Roy
Kim Roy
Lori Schur
Jeshua Scott
Lindsay Shaleen
Loraine Smith
Abby Sutterlin
Kendall Sutterlin
Abigail Swanger
Clay Walsh – South Carolina Board President
Sharon Youkey
The Sutterlin Family
Fund A Cure Family
Read MoreThe Sutterlin Family
Fund A Cure Family
Abby Sutterlin’s story with JDRF started when she was diagnosed with type one diabetes, a diagnosis that would shock her family even though they were very familiar with the medical field. At the time, there were no local Charleston organizations for type one diabetes. Her family founded Abby’s Friends, a non-profit with the mission to raise money, educate the public, and raise awareness about type one diabetes. With the help of friends, family, and strangers, the Sutterlins made a huge impact on the Charleston community and the T1D community.
Since then, Abby has sought out to touch the lives of T1D and families by becoming an advocate and holding on to the goal of finding a cure. This past year, she became a JDRF Advocate Action Committee Member with the goal of participating in national Advocacy initiatives and mentoring local youths in the JDRF Advocacy program. Outside of the JDRF, she is a senior at Wofford College and will be graduating in May with a B.S. in biology.
Abby and her family are truly honored to be this years Fund A Cure Family. They cannot wait to represent T1D all over the state and raise money to find a care.
Wall Of Hope
George T. Lewis, Jr. Foundation
Ms. Kathie Hoppe
H. English and Ermine Cater Robinson Foundation
South Carolina Physicians Care Charity, Inc.
Civil Engineering of Columbia
Mr. John Felder, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Brad and Lori Schur
Dr. Jerry and Mrs. Sharon Youkey
Mr. and Mrs. Alex and Kim Roy
Polydeck Screen Corporation
Stephen Colbert Americone Dream Fund
Mr. and Mrs. Dave and Kathy Smoley
Mr. and Mrs. Marc and Loraine Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Susan Rankin
Laura E. duPont Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Brad and Robin Bylenga
Table Hosts
Ms. Lillian Fant
Mr. and Mrs. Alex and Kim Roy
Ms. Chelsea Vail
Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes and Paige Brown
Lillian’s Second Moms
Ms. Caroline Leadmon and Mr. Garrett Smith
Spartanburg Toyota
Mr. and Mrs. Marc and Loraine Smith
Event Details
Riley Fincher-Foster
Co-Emcee
Read MoreRiley Fincher-Foster
Co-Emcee
Riley Fincher-Foster is a 15-year-old diagnosed at age 4 with Type 1 Diabetes. Since her diagnosis, JDRF has been a source of support, advocacy and hope for her and her family. Riley has volunteered with JDRF in many ways: through advocacy, previous Gala events, One Walk teams, meetings locally with government representatives, representing South Carolina at the 2017 Children’s Congress in Washington DC, and sharing her story countless times for support and partnership. Riley is a current 9th grade student at the Fine Arts Center of Greenville, she is also a performer on stage as well as film and TV professionally since age 11, including a national tour, feature film and television roles as well as many local and regional musical theatre productions and concerts. Meeting celebrities with Type 1 through JDRF events gave Riley the confidence that she could follow her dreams as a performer and not let Type 1 hold her back. Riley loves sharing her story and talents to aid in JDRF’s mission to one day find a cure for Type 1 and make life easier for those living with the disease until we do.
Jason Boyer
Co-Emcee
Read MoreJason Boyer
Co-Emcee
Emmy award-winning WLOS News 13 Chief Meteorologist Jason Boyer has been bringing Western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina the latest forecast and best storm coverage for nearly 15 years.
Jason was born and raised in Highland, Illinois and earned a B.S. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. An accomplished meteorologist, Jason has earned the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist seal from the American Meteorological Society (AMS).
His passion for weather started at a young age when his hometown was hit by a devastating tornado. This passion led him to study and forecast weather in Johnson City, Chattanooga and Denver, Colorado.
Jason is well-known for his community involvement and especially for his interest in teaching kids about meteorology. He spends a great deal of his free time visiting schools and working with nonprofits like the American Red Cross and The ARC to help fundraise for their critical services.
However, JDRF is very special to him. His 12-year-old son, Hudson was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of six. Since the diagnosis, Jason, his wife Sandi and Hudson have committed themselves to advocating and educating the community about Type 1 Diabetes.
Jason is excited to be a part of this year’s gala and to be able to help raise crucial funds for T1D research.
The Gala will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville.
We have a discounted hotel rate for those traveling from outside the Upstate or those that just want a staycation! Rooms can be reserved through this link through April 20th.
Passed Hors D’oeuvres
Fig and Mascarpone Beggars Purse | Peking Duck Spring Roll with Sesame Teriyaki Glaze | Lowcountry Miniature Crab Cakes with Remoulade
Salad
Baby Spinach Salad
Spinach | Strawberry | Toasted Pecans | Goat Cheese | Champagne Vinaigrette
Entree
Herb Roasted French Cut Chicken | Garlic Blue Lake Green Beans | Root Vegetable Risotto | Citrus and Rosemary Pan Gravy
*Vegan entree available upon request
Bread Service, Tea and Coffee Bar
Dessert – Served in After Party
Mint Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Compote and Chantilly Cream
Key Lime Tart with Berry Coulis
Coffee and Espresso Martini Bar
We welcome you to Greenville on the weekend of May 11th for The Mother of all Galas and encourage you to check out Artisphere while you’re here!
Artisphere is Greenville’s premier art festival and the perfect opportunity to explore the city’s charming downtown area. The festival will take place May 10-12 and you can visit their website for more information!
Can’t join us, but still want to be part of the auction?
Complete this form to participate in the auction from your mobile device.
You will receive an email with your bidder information when the auction is live.
Bidding on the Silent Auction items will be on through the Greater Giving Mobile Bidding Platform. Any Live Auction bidding will occur live at the Gala. All bids are final and non-retractable. There will be no exchange or refund on items unless otherwise specified. Please make payments in full this evening. We accept cash, check, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. DAF payments are not allowed for auction items.
Please carefully check envelopes containing gift certificates before leaving. JDRF is not responsible for replacing gift certificates lost after you leave the event. JDRF is under no obligation to extend, modify or change items or restrictions on items/certificates. Please pay careful attention to all condition, restrictions, and expirations on items and services. Unless otherwise stated, gift certificates exclude alcohol, tax and gratuity. Unless otherwise noted, all auction items and services must be used by May 11, 2025. We appreciate your strict observance of these restrictions, as future donations depend upon it.
JDRF cannot ship alcohol. You must be 21+ to purchase any package with alcohol items include.
Dates for all trips and similar events must be mutually arranged with donor, unless noted. All reservations should be made at least one month in advance. All tickets in travel packages are for coach travel, unless otherwise specified. No refunds are permitted for canceled, lost, or unused tickets and/or accommodations. Airline blackout dates apply to all tickets, regardless of airline, unless specifically noted. Blackout dates are subject to change. Tickets cannot be reissued or refunded.
All completed sales from this event are considered transactions solely between the purchaser and the donor of the auction item. All gift card usage is the responsibility of the buyer. Although the gift card and amount is currently valid, JDRF is not responsible for unused gift cards at businesses that may cease to operate before the expiration date. Auction items may not be transferred from the original buyer to another auction outside of JDRF without prior written consent from the donor.
JDRF has endeavored to catalogue and describe the auction items correctly on-line, in the ballroom, and the electronic bidding devices, but all items are sold “as-is”. No statements contained in the program or made orally at the sale or elsewhere shall be deemed a warranty, representation or assumption of liability. Bidders should carefully note the specific restrictions, conditions, and expiration dates for items purchased. Items depicted in the slide presentation, auction display and on electronic devices are for illustration purposes and may not be actual auction items.
JDRF reserves the right to withdraw any item from sale.
Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Wall of Hope & Fund a Cure Sponsor
Hope Sponsors
Dream Sponsors
After Party Sponsor
Wish Sponsors
Raffle Sponsor
Production Sponsor
Media Sponsor
