25th Anniversary

25th ANNIVERSARY EVENING FUNDRAISER
MAY 13, 2023, RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER

EVENT DETAILS

Join Wake County Smart Start in celebrating 25 years of changing the lives of young children in Wake County by attending the Building Bright Futures fundraiser. Your donation will help move our mission forward:

Administering free, public preschool programs for 3 and 4-year-olds living in poverty
Improving the quality of child care centers
Supporting early literacy, teaching healthy habits, funding parent education and at home services
Reaching over 40,000 children last fiscal year

PROGRAM
6pm-9pm
-Reception with dinner and “Play & Learn Stations”
-Keynote: Sonia Manzano (Maria on Sesame Street for 44 years)
-Book signing and dessert reception
*Streaming option available

Purchase Event Tickets Here

EVENT HOST COMMITTEE

We are thrilled to to introduce you to our fantastic Host Committee. We appreciate this group of great leaders that will serve as ambassadors for the event as well as our mission.

HONORARY CHAIR
Donald Thompson

CEO, The Diversity Movement

Derrick Byrd

Executive Director, Family Resource Center South Atlantic

Amy Cubbage

President, North Carolina Partnership for Children

Kacie Fore

Project Manager, Duke Energy

Pilar Rocha-Goldberg

President and CEO, El Centro Hispano NC

Crash Gregg

Publisher, Triangle Downtowner Magazine

Sherry Heuser

President, Capability Comapny

Jessica Holmes

Attorney, Former County Commissioner

Karen Ponder

Distinguished Fellow, BUILD Initiative

Kim Shaw

Owner, A Safe Place Child Development Center

Craig Simon

Media and Software Account Manager, Radio One

Willy Stewart

CEO and Chairman, Stewart Inc.

Rob Thompson

Director, Early Childhood, BCBS Foundation

Joe White

Director of Finance and Business, NCSU Libraries

SPONSORSHIPS

Want to get in early on sponsorship opportunities? There are a limited number, and we anticipate a sell-out crowd along with a streaming audience. Contact Diana Fenves at dfenves@wakesmartstart.org for more details.