2018 Golden Gala

The 2018 Golden Gala was a resounding success! We raised over $50,000 to aid in the rescue, rehabilitation and adoption of glden retrievers and golden-hearted dogs across North Carolina. Our gala would not have been successful without the support of our amazing sponsors, donors, and volunteers. You are the best!
It was an honor to have Wes Hohenstein, cheif meteorologist ad CBS17, emcee our event again this year. He did an outstanding job and provided great weather for our event. And the gala committee did an exceptional job preparing a wonderful evening for everyone, which was full of laughs and tears. It was truly a special evening.
See below for highlights of the evening; including our award recipients, the call to action and circle of life videos shown at the gala, and pictures from the evening. You'll also foun the list of our wonderful sponsors and mano of our donors for the silent auction adn special activities below.
Thank you all!!! We look forward to seeing you next year!
Awards
Golden Golden Award - Calley Gerber

Calley Gerber is an animal attorney, encompassing many fields of law: constitutional, family, criminal, civil, contracts, property, administrative, trust/estates, etc. To state it briefly, Calley helps people if their animals have been harmed. Calley also helps rescues, sanctuaries, and other animal entities with animal issues. Some examples are: reviewing an adoption contract for a rescue group, asking a judge to allow the animals from a cruelty case to be temporarily placed in foster homes instead of taking up space and sitting in the shelter for many months, and most recently advocating for all rescues in regard to obtaining ownership rights when a dog is taken from a shelter.). Calley has a deep love for all animals and is passionate about helping others who also love animals. In addition to a full-time animal law practice, Calley is also an Adjunct Professor of Law teaching Animal Law at UNC School of Law.
Animal welfare is a difficult area of the law but that has not deterred Calley from her incredible advocacy on behalf of all animals. Gerber Animal Law Center is a North Carolina law firm dedicated to the protection of animals and their legal rights. The firm represents individual clients as well as animal welfare organizations in actions to protect and defend the interests and rights of animals and their guardians. Calley has the experience and has demonstrated her commitment to animals and those who care about them and is most deserving of the GOLDEN GOLDEN Award.
Jennifer Edwards Award - Marilee McTigue
Marilee joined NRGRR in 2012 and has been involved in many roles since that time. Marilee started as a foster and has continued to foster frisky puppies, seniors, and hospice fosters since that time. Within the operations group she has served as the Applications Manager, processed applications, monitored calls on the applications hotline, and matched dogs with adopters. She is also a transporter and, word is, she has driven the most miles the past 2 years; with about 9800 mile in 2016 and 7800 miles in 2017. Marilee has served on the Board as VP and Secretary and also served on the Executive, Operating and Chaired Governance Committees.
During 2014, Marilee completed an analysis of NRGRR's information technology needs and worked with a cross-functional team to prepare an Information Technology Plan. She then worked with operations to select and implement an animal rescue management system called Trackabeast, which has transformed how the Operations Team manages all the dog intake, fostering, medical care, and more!
Marilee is a retired business executive with 25 years experience in management consulting and the pharmaceutical industry and brings that experience to NRGRR. Marilee is a "rock" and a voice of reason in all NRGRR discussions.
Presentation of Appreciation - Donna Blackwell

Donna has served in every role in our rescue for more than a decade, and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Donna has fostered, led our applications team, served as an intake volunteer and transporter, can be counted on to help with events, execute placement contracts with adopters and more. Currently Donna leads our dog coordination team – every dog has a coordinator who “quarterbacks” the dog’s journey through Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue from intake through foster care to adoption. Donna leads this busy activity of coordinating vet appointments, training needs and foster support. Donna coordinates our twice-monthly meet and greet events, organizing our fosters and volunteers with regular communications. She is also active and reliable in the important behind the scenes work of updating our database and microchip records. While working full-time and caring for her mom, Donna works on rescue every day.
Donna remembers more dogs than anyone else in our group – probably due to her intense involvement with each dog in our rescue as well as her commitment to records maintenance. While this work is not exciting, it is important. Last year, we were notified that one of our dogs had been surrendered to a shelter. Without Donna’s excellence in maintaining our records, this vital connection would have been missed and we’d not have been able to rescue him a second time.
Donna’s biggest rewards for her work are likely the happy emails from adopters and her "failed foster", Maggie.
The Suki Call to Action Challenge
Debbie and John talk about adopting Suki17, now named Lizzie, and challenge everyone to match their $250 donation and pull together as a village to save more dogs. Even though the Gala is over, the needs continue. Please join Suki in helping other dogs in need.
Click here to make a donation today. Thank you!
Circle of Life Video
Here is the circle of life video shown during the presentation ceremony highlighting many of the Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue Alumni. The video was generously produced by Alex Smith with music by Sam Robson. Thank you!
Pictures of the Evening
Here's a look back at the evening with photography graciously provided by our volunteer Ellen Yu. You may click on the images for a larger view of these pictures.
The Venue - Raleigh Country Club
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2018 Golden Gala Centerpiece
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2018 Golden Gala Centerpiece
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2018 Golden Gala Centerpiece
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2018 Golden Gala Centerpiece
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2018 Golden Gala Schedule
The Silent Auction and Activities
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2018 Golden Gala Silent Auction
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2018 Golden Gala Silent Auction
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2018 Golden Gala Silent Auction
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2018 Golden Gala Silent Auction
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2018 Golden Gala Silent Auction
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2018 Golden Gala Silent Auction
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2018 Golden Gala Silent Auction
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2018 Golden Gala Silent Auction
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2018 Golden Gala Golden Guardian
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2018 Golden Gala Golden Guardian
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2018 Golden Gala Merchandise
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2018 Golden Gala Dine and Dash
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2018 Golden Gala Build a Bag
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2018 Golden Gala Build a Bag
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2018 Golden Gala Build a Bag
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2018 Golden Gala Wine Pull
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2018 Golden Gala Yellow Brick Road
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2018 Golden Gala Yellow Brick Road
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2018 Golden Gala Rainbow Bridge
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2018 Golden Gala Rainbow Bridge
The Sponsors, Supporters, Guests and Volunteers
The Golden Ambassadors
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2018 Golden Gala Ambassador Cody
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2018 Golden Gala Ambassador Cody
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2018 Golden Gala Ambassador Cody
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2018 Golden Gala Ambassador Cody
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2018 Golden Gala Ambassador Maggie
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2018 Golden Gala Ambassador Maggie
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2018 Golden Gala Ambassador Maggie
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2018 Golden Gala Ambassador Maggie
The Awards Program and Call to Action
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2018 Golden Gala Golden Golden Award
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2018 Golden Gala Golden Golden Award
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2018 Golden Gala Jennifer Edwards Award
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2018 Golden Gala Jennifer Edwards Award
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2018 Golden Gala Emcee Wes Hohenstein
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2018 Golden Gala Call To Action
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2018 Golden Gala Call To Action
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2018 Golden Gala Call To Action
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2018 Golden Gala Call To Action
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2018 Golden Gala Call To Action
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2018 Golden Gala Call To Action
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2018 Golden Gala Call To Action
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Golden Gala Sponsors
Partners of Rescue
$5,000


Ambassadors of Rescue
$2,500


My Golden Angels - Daisy and Peaches
Benefactors of Rescue
$1000

Collaborative Technology Solutions, LLC

Steve and Brenda Holden
"In Memory of Rufus, Maggie, Sadie, Samson, Kali, and Boone"
Debbie Brittain
Sophie and Sampson
Jim and Karen McKenzie
Silent Auction and Activity Donors