For many weeks, Mark Jacquez, the Capital Area Food Bank’s Senior Director of Distribution Center Operations, would wake from fitful sleeps agonizing over operational hurdles within the food bank’s warehouse. With a consistent uptick in food donations, he faced mounting challenges in moving food efficiently from elevated racks to the trucking docks.
Last night, Mark got the sleeping pill he badly needed. No, it wasn’t in the form of 18 different kinds of hors d’oeuvres he devoured at Blue Jeans Ball. Rather, his restful slumber was attributed to the generous contributions provided by Blue Jeans Ball attendees so he may go and acquire additional double-deep reach trucks — essentially, an awesome fork lift.
The 11th Annual Blue Jeans Ball grossed over $429,000, making it one of the most successful to date.
More than 760 people donned their denim wear and showed up to the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel yesterday evening to party and support the largest hunger relief organization in Washington metro area. As guests piled into the grand ballroom, they were greeted to an array of culinary delights from 40 of the area’s top restaurants.
If folks weren’t chomping down salads, sliders, and other hors d’oeuvres; then they were likely rocking out to John Jaeger’s The Elastic Waist Band or turning their attention to their silent auction bidding device.
And then, drum solo. Ba-Da-BOOM! The program started.
With a nod to First Lady Michelle Obama as the honorary event patron, ABC7’s Scott Thuman deftly moderated the evening program that featured CAFB’s President and CEO Nancy E. Roman, Board Chair Peter Schnall and Barry Scher, chair of the Blue Jeans Ball host committee. In addition, Special Guest, Educator Clint Smith electrified the crowd with a spoken word performance.
Following the program, the live auction commenced. The rapid-fire tongue of auctioneer BJ Jennings kicked things into overdrive as she began hurling words like they were her last. She and the Jennings Auction Group cajoled bidders into purchasing north of $50,000 in live auction packages.
A good portion of the proceeds will go to improving the food bank’s operational capacity, thus helping Mark get food out to people in need faster. In addition, the revenue will continue strengthening the Capital Area Food Bank’s commitment to providing more healthy fruits and vegetables to people at risk of hunger.
Thanks to all that made this an outstanding event and Mark’s sleep more restful. Together we can solve hunger and in some cases, insomnia.