Trilith is proud to announce the Reel People Care Gala raised nearly $1 million for local charities on Friday, March 3.
Originally envisioned by Dan T. Cathy, Chairman, Chick-fil-A, Inc and chief visionary for Trilith, the first Gala in January 2014 served to thank local supporters and dignitaries who made the extremely fast launch of Trilith Studios (at the time Pinewood Atlanta Studios) possible. Today, the event has grown into an annual community gathering designed to raise funds for a diverse, curated group of nonprofits that support, strengthen, and improve the local community.
This year’s gala, themed “A Kaleidoscope of Connections,” focused on the meaningful connections between our community’s non-profits, and the many fruitful partnerships that exist between them – some that were formed solely because of the annual gala fundraiser.
The 2023 Reel People Care Gala highlighted 15 remarkable non-profit organizations that serve the South Metro Atlanta community: (AVPRIDE) Association of Village Pride, Bloom, Christian City, ClearWater Academy, Coco’s Cupboard, The Eden Project, Fayette Fire Foundation, Fayette Senior Services, The Forest School, Leap for Literacy, Midwest Food Bank, Piedmont Fayette Hospital, Promise Place, Southern Conservation Trust and Two Sparrows Village.
Genaro Lawhorn, Associate Regional Director, Young Life, and Abby McCollum, Marketing Manager, Trilith Studios hosted the event this year. “The Gala provides an opportunity for us to serve as storytelling champions for these incredible organizations and to ignite the spirit of generosity in our community,” said McCollum. “So I’m especially excited that this year we hit our ambitious goal of raising $1 million.”
Presenters included Frank Patterson, President & CEO, Trilith Studios, Rob Parker, President, Trilith Development and Dan T. Cathy, Chairman, Chick-fil-A, Inc and Trilith visionary.
“We are incredibly proud of the results of this year’s Gala and excited to see all of the support this fundraising will give to our local community,” Parker said. “Each year, we are inspired and in awe of the work these charities do, and the opportunity to give back to them is really special.”
Attendees participated in a fantastic silent auction, enjoyed a seated dinner and a behind-the-scenes entertainment experience in the Trilith’s Shipyard.
The Reel People Care Gala is made possible by the Trilith ecosystem of productions, vendors and retailers that come together to sponsor and support the event – from delectable catering provided by Hanna Brothers, to customized arrangements provided by The Funky Shack, to the interactive Shipyard Experience.
This year, the Shipyard Experience included a Captain America Shield, signed by the cast, customized film and TV props from Eightoeight, picture cars from Zombieland: Double Tap, Hawkeye, The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, and Doom Patrol, a virtual reality experience provided by The Third Floor, a 3D scanning experience provided by SCANable, a hair and makeup trailer with a special effects makeup demonstration by Blue Whale Studios, an array of photo opps (360 photo booth and step and repeat) and tasty hors d’oeuvres provided by Enzo Steakhouse and Bar.
*For the 2023 Reel People Care Gala, we used a new software platform to allow us to report fundraising amounts in real time. After a post-event audit, we found there was a software glitch the night of the event. The correct dollar amount raised for the 2023 event is $882,748.
