AAHM to host fundraising gala honoring civic and business trailblazers
The Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum will honor three trailblazers Saturday during its 12th Annual Fundraising Gala at the Northfield Inn and Suites.
The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and reception, with dinner and program starting at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $65 per adult and $32.50 for children and college students.
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The theme for the 2023 edition of the gala is "Honoring Our Heritage: Heroes and Sheroes Greatness – In Many Forms," exemplified through those honored: Dr. Ruby Davis, owner of Springfield's Ruby Funeral Services & Chapel, the first of its kind owned by a Black woman in Springfield; Preston Jackson, a Decatur native and professor emeritus of sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago; and Rev. Silas Johnson, pastor at Springfield's Calvary Missionary Baptist Church.
The gala gives the museum a chance to promote its educational programming and exhibits about African-American life in Springfield over the years.
"The gala is our largest annual fundraising event and is an opportunity to engage the community to showcase our many activities and programs," said Carolyn Farrar, president of the AAHM's board. "We look forward to everyone attending and by all means, please come and visit the museum."
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: AAHM to honor Springfield business, civic leaders at fundraising gala
