On May 30th 2008, CommonBond Communities hosts its Tenth Annual GrandeGala at The Depot in Minneapolis. The GrandeGala celebrates CommonBond Communities’ lasting solutions to the affordable housing crisis and supports CommonBond’s pioneering Advantage Centers in promoting independent living, employment, and youth services among residents. Presented by Frerichs Construction, the Tenth Annual GrandeGala will feature dinner, entertainment, and live and silent auctions. Tickets and table sponsorships are currently available at www.commonbondgrandegala.org or by calling 651-291-1750. All GrandeGala proceeds will benefit CommonBond residents and affordable homes.
The Tenth Annual GrandeGala will honor the 2008 CommonBond Housing Heroes: individuals and organizations that, through their passion for affordable homes with services, significantly and permanently change lives. This year, Travelers will receive the Legacy Award for their long-term partnership with Torre de San Miguel Homes in St. Paul, George C. Lang will be given the Edward J. Flahavan Award for his exemplary commitment as a CommonBond volunteer, and Shirley Land will be honored with the Joe Errigo Advantage Award for her tireless work with the ECFE program in the Skyline Tower Advantage Center.
This year, the GrandeGala auction will include a work of graphic art by Amrula Tahiro, a CommonBond resident and refugee from Ethiopia. Tahiro participated in CommonBond’s Career Advantage program (also celebrating its tenth year), receiving job search aid and hands-on training to secure a position as a maintenance technician at CommonBond community Seward Towers. He is also an emerging artist, using his home at Skyline Tower as an inspiration for his digital art. “It’s a small city, dealing with people from different countries, different cultures, different races,” Amrula says of the home that inspired him. “[This diversity] is part of life; it’s wonderful living.” Thanks to a safe home and the tools he needs to succeed, Amrula now has the base to create and give back. For more on Amrula’s story, please visit http://www.commonbond.org/aboutus/residentvoices.asp?article=0805 or contact Elizabeth Johnson at ejohns@commonbond.org
There is still much more that need to be done to address the affordable housing crisis. It is estimated that Minnesota will require 33,000 additional units of affordable housing by 2010. There is a growing need for housing close to public transportation and jobs, housing to provide stability for those caught in the mortgage crisis, and housing serving the unique needs of residents age one to one hundred. CommonBond provides housing to all these people and more. Since July 2007, CommonBond has added 600 homes to our housing portfolio so that today 7,300 people call CommonBond home, including more than 2,000 children.
The original GrandeGala began in July of 1999, chaired by Michelle Grabanski Pohlad. For this first GrandeGala, crisp white tent tops framed the stunning rose garden at the Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen. Emceed by Belinda Jensen, meteorologist for KARE 11 Television, the first Gala raised over $80,000. The outdoor feel of the GrandeGala is still preserved today at its new location in The Depot in Minneapolis. Linder’s Greenhouse and Garden Center generously lends truckloads of plants every year, transforming The Depot into a lush greenhouse. Over the past ten years, the GrandeGala has raised $1.6 million, helping CommonBond grow to serve 7,300 residents.
This year’s GrandeGala auction will feature a variety of luxury items, including a Minnesota Twins suite, a Nintendo Wii, a package to the Saint Paul Hotel and much more. Guests can also choose a jewelry bag from our diamond tree for a chance to win a 1 karat diamond from JB Hudson, or buy a stake in the wine pool to receive a bottle of wine worth anywhere from $25 to $250. Proceeds go to benefit CommonBond Communities housing and services.
About CommonBond Communities
Founded in 1971, CommonBond Communities is the largest nonprofit developer, manager and service provider of affordable homes in the Upper Midwest. CommonBond preserves, builds and manages apartments and town homes while providing on-site resident services. They have earned a national reputation for excellence as they leverage resources and provide housing that is viewed as a community asset. For more information about CommonBond Communities or the 10th Annual GrandeGala, contact the organization online at www.commonbond.org or e-mail info@commonbond.org