- April 22, 2024
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Executive Director Michelle Kapreilian and Chairwoman Ariane Dart
Executive Director Michelle Kapreilian and Chairwoman Ariane Dart
Terri Najmolhoda and Cameron Guilmette
Jim and Nancy Trivisonno
Bart and Joseph Price
Maike Federici and Brian Mariash
Cyndi and Ray Burnett
Tina and Mike Granthon
Jennifer Rust, Nicole Christie, Erin Christy and Caroleen Brej
Donna Koffman
Ellen Hanson and Richard Perlman
Coquina Homer and Jessica Brilingas
Tyson Lynn, Terry O'Hara and Jim Richard
Nicole and Dan Starostecki
Luke Nicholas, Carl Watkins, Brigette Raymaker and Erica Aultman
Umbreen Khalidi-Majeed
Umbreen Khalidi-Majeed, Elisabeth Waters and Michele Schlossberg
Nicole Behar, Heather Williams and Priya and Naveen Acharya
Guests browsed and bid on silent auction items throughout cocktail hour and dinner.
Jaclyn Brunckhorst won this earring set.
Aimee and Chris Cogan
Marko Radisic and Ashley Kozel
Ryan Nolen sported studded shoes.
Melissa and Hakim Morsli
The outer tables had towering centerpieces.
Ariane Dart founded The Firefly Gala.
The tent decor was shades of pink.
Executive Director Michelle Kapreilian told guests about the mission of Forty Carrots Family Center.
Chairwoman Ariane Dart also took the stage before dinner.
Tonya Gowan shows off the signed guitar in the live auction.
Jaclyn Brunckhorst won the earrings from Saks Fifth Avenue Sarasota.
The dessert was served before the concert.
The Firefly Gala was hosted in three areas of The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.
Mimi Carlin and Lissa Murphy
A themed photobooth was set up in the after party area.
Chairwoman Ariane Dart introduces Kesha to the stage.
Guests took videos and live feeds on their phones of the concert.
Kesha closed out the gala with an entertaining performance.
Kesha closed out the gala with an entertaining performance.
“Tik tok” was heard multiple times throughout The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota March 30, but no one was concerned about what time it was – only that it was time for pop singer Kesha to take the stage.
For its 25th anniversary, Forty Carrots Family Center and the Dart Family Foundation brought in Kesha to perform for the annual Firefly Gala.
Forty Carrots Family Center helps families through parenting education, mental health resources and early childhood education. About 93% of children who go to the center are able to go for free because of donors, many of whom contribute at Firefly and the organization’s other large-scale fundraiser, Wine, Women and Shoes.
The evening began with cocktails and light bites in the hotel gardens, as well as silent auction items to browse. Guests mingled and glittered in the sun with their sparkly attire. After cocktail hour, guests were seated under the tent, which was decorated in several shades of pink.
A Kesha-signed guitar and meet-and-greets with the pop star were auctioned off during the live auction, in addition to a ski trip and concert trips in Chicago.
After dinner, the live auction, the mission moment and paddle raise, partygoers were ready to “throw some glitter and make it rain” with a lively concert in the hotel ballroom. The party continued into the early morning with an after-party in the hallway of The Ritz.
