United Family Services Celebrates Centennial with Nov. 7 Aperture Gala  

November 7, 2009

Saturday 7:00pm

Detail: Celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of United Family Services by attending the Aperture gala on Saturday, November 7 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte. United Family Services is commemorating a century of serving people in crisis. “Since the creation of United Family Services in 1909, the organization has stood as a beacon of hope for people in crisis,” said Sharon Thacker, the agency’s Chief Operating Officer. “United Family Services has responded to community needs by starting many programs that now exist as independent nonprofits, and we hope that the community will join in celebrating the amazing accomplishments a century of work has produced.” This special occasion promises to be a festive evening full of surprises and live music performed by Simply Irresistible, the party band that includes Toni Braxton’s sister, Broadway singers and the talented, Ronnie Garrett, a Grammy nominee and Tyler Perry’s musical director. The celebration starts at 7 p.m. and will showcase an exclusive fine art photography exhibition produced by artist Lisa Holder, the McColl Center for Visual Art and the Shelter for Battered Women.  The event will also launch the public phase of the United Family Services Capital Campaign, led by Crandall C. Bowles and Jennifer Roberts, Chairman of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. Tickets for the centennial gala are $200 per person. Sponsorships are also available. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact Elizabeth Connor at: 704-367-2799. The agency was formed in 1909 by a group of 100 religious and business leaders who came together and each pledged $25 a year to support the work of the agency, formerly known as Associated Charities.