Special to The Sun-Sentinel
HERNANDO – Scott and Natasha Hollis of Olive Branch will co-chair the 23th annual Crystal Ball with a theme of “A Night in Havana.”
The gala, which benefits 800 nonprofits and charitable causes through the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, is planned for Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at The Arena at Southaven.
The Crystal Ball is the Community Foundation’s only fundraiser. The 2023 Crystal Ball Gala theme is a continuation of the theme from 2022, which was canceled due to COVID-19.
Scott Hollis, co-chair for this year’s gala, wanted to recognize the effort put in by the numerous volunteers from 2022. The gala will include a live auction, dinner from Mesquite Chop House, and dance music by Get Sideways.
“The Crystal Ball affords our Community Foundation the opportunity to honor individuals, nonprofits and businesses who exemplify our mission of connecting people who care with causes that matter,” Community Foundation president Keith Fulcher said. “This year’s Stars of Hope, Erin and Ben Napier, and our four Community Stars and honorees are outstanding representatives of the efforts being made in Mississippi to make life better for our youth.”
The 2023 Stars of Hope, Erin and Ben Napier, of HGTV’s “Home Town” and natives of Laurel, were also the Stars of Hope for the 2022 Crystal Ball Gala. Recently, the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi, with matching funds from the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation and the Abington family, presented Children’s of Mississippi with a check for $30,000 in honor of the Napiers.
The Community Stars for the 2023 Gala are Pastor Bartholomew of Brown Missionary Baptist Church as Man of the Year, Chelesa Presley of the Diaper Bank of the Mississippi Delta as Woman of the Year, the Emmett Till Interpretive Center of Sumner as Nonprofit of the Year, and Sephora as Business of the Year.
Those interested in sponsoring the event or donating auction items are invited to contact the Community Foundation by telephone at 662-449-5002, email at crystalball@cfnm.org or the website, www.crystalballgala.org. The deadline to become a sponsor is Nov. 7.
Ticket sales for the Crystal Ball black-tie and Cuban attire event are $175 per person and, if available, will start on Dec. 5.
The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi manages 260 donor-established funds. Established in 2002 with a generous grant from the Maddox Foundation, the Community Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 charitable organization. The Foundation serves Bolivar, Coahoma, DeSoto, Leflore, Marshall, Panola, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate and Tunica counties.
Learn more about the Community Foundation at www.cfnm.org.
