Children & Families First Celebrates 125 Years
(WILMINGTON, DE ~ November 7, 2009) – To mark its 125th year of continuous service to Delawareans in need, Children & Families First (CFF) will host its “Cake, Cocktails, and Comedy” Gala at Barclay’s on the Riverfront (125 South West Street, Wilmington) on Saturday, November 7, 2009. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. and will include a “Favorite Cake” Contest, featuring 125th-birthday-themed cakes by area bakeries and entertainment by Paul Mecurio, Emmy and Peabody award-winning comedian and writer for The DailyShow with Jon Stewart. Wilmington Trust has provided lead sponsorship for the event. Additional sponsors include The Laffey-McHugh Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Bifferato LLC, and Glenmede.
In 1884, three organizations – The Friends Benevolent Society, The Provident Society, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society – combined to form Associated Charities of Wilmington. Through various mergers with other charitable organizations over the past 125 years, that organization has become Children & Families First. Today, Children & Families First has a staff of 185 employees, has seven locations statewide, and in 2008 served over 40,000 Delawareans through services that include parent education, child and elder care resource and referral, foster care, adoption, welfare to work programs, programs to increase child care quality and availability, truancy prevention, counseling, a youth residential treatment center, teen pregnancy prevention and infant mortality prevention programs.
# # #
We welcome the media to attend! For your coverage purposes, the agenda for the evening is:
6:30 pm – 7:45 pm: Cocktails, silent auction, voting on favorite birthday cake, and tour of CFF’s archive displays
7:45 – 8:15: Remarks by Board Chair Ellen Levin, recognition of dignitaries and special guests, followed by premiere of agency video
8:15 – 9:15 pm: Entertainment by Paul Mecurio
9:15 – 10 p.m.: Announcement of cake contest winners, toast, close of silent auction, dessert
Free parking will be available in the Two Christiana Crescent parking garage on the Riverfront next to the new Barclay's building. Entrances are located on West Street and Justison Street. Please bring your parking ticket with you to the event for validation.
If you cannot attend but would like to conduct an advance interview, please contact Jennifer Gallo at 302-777-9734 or via email at jennifer.gallo@cffde.org.
