Child Crisis Arizona Disco in the Desert
Child Crisis Arizona, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the well-being and safety of children and families, will host its milestone 47th annual signature fundraising gala – Disco in the Desert – at the JW Marriot Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale on March 29, starting at 6 p.m. The Disco in the Desert will take place entirely under the stars and feature larger-than-life experiential moving art installations, live music, casino gaming tables, a multi-course gourmet dinner, and more.
“In recent years, we’ve transported guests from the tropics of Hawaii to John Dutton’s Yellowstone ranch via our funky twists on the traditional gala, and this year is no different,” said Torrie Taj, CEO of Child Crisis Arizona. “For one night, we want to take guests back to the grooviest moments of the 1970s to help us celebrate what has been an extraordinary period of growth for our organization, which happened to be founded in 1977.”
According to Taj, in the past 12 months alone, Child Crisis Arizona served over 48,000 individuals statewide through education, prevention, and intervention programming. In addition, the organization acquired Whispering Hope Ranch, a 45-acre ADA-compliant ranch in Payson that hosts camps for medically-fragile children and adults, while also opening the doors to its 2.4-acre, 38,000-square-foot Center of Child & Family Wellness campus, which centralized operations and is currently leveraging synergies with partner organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona, United Food Bank, Ballet Arizona, Free Arts of Arizona, Gabriel's Angels Pet Therapy, and more. They also became one of just 12 Head Start programs nationwide to earn national accreditation, the only organization in Arizona to do so.
Guests who attend the event will surely catch a Saturday Night Fever from the entertainment in every direction throughout the evening. Rather than hosting a traditional cocktail hour and then seated ballroom dinner, Disco in the Desert will take place entirely outdoors across the expansive terraces at the JW Marriot Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. The evening will kick off with a laundry list of inspired activations, notably stilt walkers dressed to look like giant disco balls who will act as interactive art installations. They will be complemented by professional dancers performing for the crowd as well as getting a little audience participation for those who are game.
“We are exceptionally excited to have Alinx Permanent Jewelry join in the cocktail reception fun with us this year as well,” said Taj. “They will be outfitting guests with the local brand’s signature clasp-less gold and sterling silver jewelry. Each piece is physically – but painlessly, of course – is welded onto the wearer live.”
Additional wow factor will come thanks to an award-winning caricaturist who will draw guests’ portraits on commemorative event coasters during the cocktail party. Lauded artist Michael Feather will also be featured at the event. In fact, he will be live painting the Disco in the Desert scene during the cocktail hour and then auctioning the piece off later in the night.
There will also be both blackjack and roulette gaming tables for prizes, a 70s-themed photobooth, and a silent auction boasting more than three dozen packages and VIP experiences from COURSE Restaurant, STK Steakhouse, Westin Kierland, Hotel Valley Ho, JW Marriott, Las Palomas Rocky Point, Kendra Scott, Arizona Snowbowl, Valley Youth Theatre, the Champagne Train, Real Results Medical Aesthetics, Farm at South Mountain, local and regional wineries and golf courses, and many more.
“After the cocktail reception, guests will move to a larger 70s-themed terrace for a gourmet dinner under the stars and program emceed by award-winning journalist Carey Pena, during which time we will share success stories from individuals who have benefitted from the organization, host our paddle raiser and raffle, and then get dancing all night long,” said Taj.
Live music will be featured throughout both the reception and dinner thanks to The JJ’s Band, a high-energy nine-piece band set to play both the biggest hits of the disco era as well as funkified takes on all-time chart-toppers.
The Disco in the Desert is made possible by the generous sponsorship of General Dynamics, Olsson Family Foundation, BOK Financial; CHASSE Building Team, Enterprise Bank & Trust, The Mahoney Group, Nationwide, Nautilus Insurance, Wilde Wealth Management, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Dickinson Wright, Snell & Wilmer, the Brad & Ellen Soultz Foundation, and many more.
Individual tickets for Disco in the Desert tickets start at $500 each, and tables start at $5,000. Individuals or business interested in sponsorship opportunities should contact at Laura Ryerson at [email protected].
For more information, visit www.childcrisisaz.org/discointhedesert.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2910320-0
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2910320-2
