Our Biggest Event of the Year... The Illuminate HOPE Annual Gala Updates!
The Illuminate Hope Gala 2023 is right around the corner, and we are planning a special night for our survivors and guests! This event will be Friday, October 27th at The Royal Oak Event Center in New Ulm, beginning at 5:00 pm.
We have started to reach out to sponsors, and our ticket sales are now live! - CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR BECOME A SPONSOR - We anticipate this to be a sold-out event, so get your seats while you can!
Last year’s event taught us many things; one of those was that we needed more help to bring such a big night together. We put an ad on Facebook and are thrilled to introduce the two amazing ladies who are Co-Chairs of this year’s gala!
Jessica Osborne is a New Ulm native who is a sales, marketing, and event planner in the promotional products industry.
She has helped plan many different events and fundraisers, including The Inspire Ball, which raised money for the Ronald McDonald House.
Her love for event planning and fundraising started when an amazing group of women from New Ulm wanted to host an event to raise money to buy a handicap-accessible van for her nephew, Carson. Cruzin’ for Carson, lit a fire in her and she wanted to pay it forward in any way she could.
She and her husband Nate both like to volunteer and help others in any way they can. Nate is the captain at Goosetown Fire Station, is on the New Ulm Junior Baseball Board, and between the two of them, they coach 3 baseball teams in the summer.
When you don’t find them at a ball field, they are busy raising 3 boys: Colton, Sawyer, and Maddox. They have a busy life, but still, find time to be part of something that will help or give back to others.
Laura Doyen is a Mankato native and works at Greater Mankato Growth as their Business Engagement Director. She also owned and operated her own small business, Design & Wine, for seven years before COVID shut its doors. Laura hosted hundreds of fundraisers through her business of all sizes.
In her spare time, she is currently involved with several non-profit organizations. She is an Executive Board Member with the Twin Valley Council - Boy Scouts of America where she also sits on the Mankato Values Event committee and is the Chair for the 2024 Rubber Duck Race fundraiser.
She is also the PR and Marketing Coordinator for the Mankato Area 77 Lancers Marching Band. Laura is in her third year of helping to coordinate the golf tournament fundraiser for the South Bend Fire Department, where her husband is a volunteer firefighter. Earlier this year she was honored with the 2023 Service Above Self Award from the Greater Mankato Rotary Club.
If you ask her what her greatest accomplishment has been, volunteering-wise, she will say the successful planning and execution of her friend's breast cancer fundraiser last summer. They raised enough money to where her friend was able to take an extended leave from work and concentrate on her health and recovery. This brought her to attend the 2022 B the Light Gala and support her friend. She is honored to be helping to make this year’s event just as amazing!
Thank you to Jessica and Laura for your energy and passion to help make this the best gala yet!
Upcoming Events for Survivors: Stay tuned on social media and on our website! CLICK HERE to see our calendar and to register!
Thank you for your support and we hope to see you at the Illuminate Hope Gala 2023! Amber Melby-Survivor/Founder -B the Light