Serendipity led a nonprofit that serves homeless youth — including paying special attention to those who are LGBT — to host a fundraiser that boasts a performance from Elton John.
Officials with Valley Youth House hadn’t held a gala in a few years and wanted to think of new ways to engage donors. They had an established relationship with the PPL Center, a concert and sports venue in Allentown. Valley Youth House has frequently benefitted from the annual Teddy Bear Toss with the region’s minor league hockey team, the Phantoms.
Emily Conners, Valley Youth House development officer, said staff at the PPL Center helped arrange group tickets for one of its fall concerts.
“It just happened to be Elton John,” Conners said. “It was really kind of a miracle for us. Elton John’s mission of philanthropy really aligns with ours.”
She said it was also meaningful that Elton John’s advocacy focuses on LGBT people.
Less than 26 tickets remain for the Sept. 27 event. There will be a reception at 5 p.m. in the Renaissance Hotel, 12 N. 7th St., Allentown. It’s connected to the PPL Center. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
Tickets cost $500.
If the event sells out, there will be 460 people in attendance.
At the reception, heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served. Guests will hear from a young person who has been homeless and taken advantage of Valley Youth House programs. The person is still being selected through a speech competition. The winner will also get to attend the concert.
“I really hope that people take away how prominent youth homelessness is,” Conners said. “Oftentimes it’s invisible. You could be sitting in class next to somebody and not realize they’re homeless.”
Couches will be placed around the room so attendees can also hear about the “Couches Don’t Count” campaign, which started in Philadelphia last year to illustrate how young people sleep on friend’s couches if they don’t have stable housing.
Conners said Valley Youth House would also show a video of the organization’s initiatives and highlight the large proportion of homeless youth who are part of the LGBT community.
The honored guests will be John and Jane Malloy for their community work. John serves as CEO of Victaulic, a Northampton County manufacturer of mechanical pipe-joining system solutions.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.valleyyouthhouse.org/settingthestage or contact Emily Conners at 610-820-0166 or [email protected].