On Saturday, May 8, JDRF Southern & Central Ohio hosted its annual Cincinnatian of the Year Gala, this year with an “at home” concept, which provided virtual programming and party kits, so guests could enjoy the event from the comfort and safety of their own homes, and raised over $1M to fund research to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. This year’s event was the first unified fundraiser for the newly merged chapter, which now includes the Central Ohio region.
The theme this year was “Back to the 80’s”, and guests and sponsors received a fully catered meal courtesy of Jeff Thomas; 80’s-inspired virtual escape room; spirits from Heidelberg Distributing and Watershed Distillery; a custom “Razzle Dazzle” cocktail kit by local bartender LaToya Jackson; and much more! Local 12’s Bob Herzog served as virtual emcee, along with his counterpart Angela An of 10TV in Columbus. The gala honored Liza and Albert Smitherman of Jostin Construction as the Cincinnatians of the Year and welcomed over 600 “at home” guests in total. At the event, Executive Director Melissa Newman announced that the chapter had received an additional $500,000 major gift, in addition to the $1M raised at the event. All event proceeds support the JDRF mission to cure type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease that can impact anyone at any age and at any time and has no association with diet or lifestyle choices. Learn more about JDRF at www.jdrf.org.