Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | January 8, 2024 | wbjournal.com CASA Champions for Children raised $110K BY ISABEL TEHAN WBJ Staff Writer T he CASA Project's Cham- pions for Children gala in September was a smash hit. Although not a new event, the celebration had fits and starts over the past years, dealing with COVID-19 cancellations, changing ven- ues, and a different vision. Yet, this year's fundraiser for the foster children advoca- BEST NONPROFIT FUNDRAISER EVENT CASA Project Worcester County, Champions for Children event Worcester www.thecasaproject.org Top executive: Executive Director Julie Bowditch Nonprofit founded: 1981 Employees: 13 Amount raised by fundraiser: $110,000 Notable runners-up: 100 Mile Ruck March Challenge for Why Me, UMass Cancer Walk W B E S T O F B U S I N E S S E V E N T S & V E N U E S BEST VENUE FOR AN EMPLOYEE OUTING Apex Entertainment* Marlborough www.apexentertainment.com Top executives: COO Marcus Kemblowski and Director of Operations George Aronstein Founded: 2017 Employees: 75 cy organization was a game-changer for the organization. CASA advocates for the best interests of abused, neglected, and vulnerable children, amplifies their voices in court, and supports them on their paths toward a permanent home. When Julie Bowditch started as executive director for the Worcester organization in 2022, she came equipped with fundraising acumen to help CASA reinvent the event. e event came together beyond Bowditch's wildest expectations. "ere was a lot of hard work and a lot of good fortune," she said. e event was hosted at Synergy In- vestment's newly revamped Main Street building known as the Glass Tower in Worcester and was the first event of any kind in the space. In fact, Bowditch said, paint was still drying while the celebra- tion was underway. Being the first event in that new space helped add to the an- ticipation. It gave the evening an exciting edge for guests, and a beautiful sunset visible from the panoramic vantage point did not hurt the feel of the night either. e event raised $110,000, a landmark achievement for CASA and nonprofits of its size, which typically generates about $1.1 million in total annual revenue, according to its filings with the Internal Revenue Services. e organization had never raised over six figures with an event before. "It was huge," said Bowditch. To match the crystal-clear glass windows of the tower top floor, the event featured a raffle of a 2.4-carat diamond. Charity events can start to seem repet- itive, and Bowditch wanted to turn the CASA event into something exciting. "ey're something that there's a lot of. We want this to be a true celebration that people look forward to," she said. With the success of 2023, it's become a can't-miss event, said Bowditch. Next year's event is slotted for the same week- end in September. Of the dozen vendors CASA hired for the event, 100% were based in Central Massachusetts. With the limited dollars the nonprofit has to invest in others during the course of the year, Bowdtich said she wanted them to go back to the local economy and help local business owners. "e youth we serve and the region we serve is diverse. We want our event to represent that," she said. Apex offers 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, able to accommodate groups ranging from 10 to more than 200. For entertainment, the facility offers bowling, bumper cars, go-karts, laser tag, mini golf, and an arcade. The center strives to be the spot in the area for businesses to enjoy themselves. Notable runners-up: Polar Park, Kimball Farm n BEST VENUE FOR A CORPORATE EVENT Beechwood Hotel* Worcester www.beechwoodhotel.com Top executive: Sayed Saleh, asset Beechwood Hotel At the CASA Champions for Children event were (from left) Karlene Cudak, CASA Executive Director Julie Bowditch, Kris Wilhelmy, Theodette Gasasira, and Gloriann Switzer.

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