2019 Children’s Ball – Donley Awards Event Raises Over $100,000 To Support Community Services For Children’s Mission
Over 250 guests IMAGINED a world where communities work to put children and families first at the 2019 CSC Children’s Ball and 24th Annual Donley Awards, held at The Centennial Catering & Conference Center in Center Valley, PA.
The event raised over $100,000 to help CSC achieve its mission of preparing young children and their families to succeed in learning and in life through innovative, comprehensive, leading-edge services.
CSC provides high-quality early education to low-income children in Lehigh and Northampton counties through the Early Head Start, Head Start, and Pre-K Counts programs; and connects children and families across Northeastern Pennsylvania to early education, childcare subsidy, and other services through the Early Learning Resource Centers.
In addition to the night’s festivities, J.B. Reilly, President/CEO of City Center Investment Corporation, Donald Bernhard, Executive Director of the Downtown Allentown Community Development Initiative
(DACDI), and Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley (CISLV) were presented with the Inez and Edward Donley Award for Children’s Advocacy. The award recognizes those who advocate on behalf of children locally, regionally, and nationally and is named for the Donleys, who were the first recipients. They dedicated their lives to improving the health, education, and general welfare of children, and it was through their support that the CSC Donley Children’s Campus became a reality.
Special recognition of the awardees was made possible by Donley Award Sponsors – Air Products, Crayola, and PPL. Other leadership sponsors included North Star Construction, The Topper Foundation, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Lafayette College, and AmericaVen.
The evening’s activities included a reception with jazz music provided by the Brian Bortz Trio, the recognition of the Donley Award honorees, an amazing silent auction, Wine Pull, and a Magic Key Box raffle that featured a stunning pearl necklace donated by Bixler’s Jewelers. The event wrapped up with CSC exceeding its goal during a live auction that secured funding for six Second Head Start Scholarships. These scholarships will be awarded to former Head Start children, now high school seniors, as they move along the path towards higher learning, career, and life goals.
About Community Services for Children
CSC is a regional leader in early childhood education and family services affecting the lives of over 20,000 children and 2,100 families annually. CSC’s Head Start/Early Head Start of the Lehigh Valley program is recognized as a national center of excellence and innovation.
Photo – L to R – Don Bernhard, Donley Award honoree and Executive Director – DACDI; Thomas Parker, Superintendent – Allentown School District; Paula Margraf, CEO/President- CSC; John W. Margraf, MD; and Oscar A. Morffi, MD share a moment during the activity-filled evening. Credit Donna Chiarelli.