Tickets are still being sold for the first-ever Olympic Gold Gala hosted by three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Richard Mark, president and CEO of Ameren Illinois, will chair the event to be held next Tuesday, October 22 at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ball Park located at 1 S. Broadway near Busch Stadium. Complimentary parking will be available in the East Stadium Parking garage. Ameren Illinois, Peabody Energy, Hospice of Southern Illinois, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Greater East Saint Louis Community Fund are event sponsors. Tickets start at $250.
“We hope to net $150,000,” said Angela M. Roberson, Executive Director of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.
Guests will have an opportunity to take personal photos with Joyner-Kersee and mingle among priceless Olympic memorabilia inside the Archview Ballroom, which will be appropriately decked out in gold, silver and bronze decor. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be served during a reception beginning at 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 7. The event will also feature a performance by renowned Jazz vocalist and St. Louis-native Denise Thimes and a silent and live auction. Items up for grabs include private workouts with Joyner-Kersee, Super Bowl and Olympic 2016 tickets (prize packages include hotel, travel and private dining accommodations).
Guests will hear personal accounts from alumni of the center, another highlight of the event. One such alumna is Aja (Junior) Williams, a digital web producer at KSDK-TV and former Florissant-based editor at Patch.com. Williams grew up in East St. Louis and said she was about 12 years old when she became a member at the center. The center and the people she met there, she said, helped her get started in her journalism career.
“These types of centers can make a great impact in a child’s life,” Williams said.
All proceeds benefit the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth and Athletic Center in East St. Louis, said Roberson who oversees the center. The center provides caring adults who provide supportive alternative to the streets for vulnerable young people and health and welfare services for senior citizens. The center hosts supervised activities, from sports and arts to academic tutoring, and is open to all East St. Louis residents.
“Jackie grew up in East St. Louis, one of America’s toughest zip codes,” Roberson said. “In her circumstances, so many of us would never have looked back; Instead, Jackie never stopped giving back. She built the JJK Center as a safe refuge and a symbol of hope for the community where she grew up. Jackie won’t stop trying to provide a safe place for kids to learn, grow and feel loved.”
The gala also marks the 25th anniversary of Joyner-Kersee’s world record in the Olympic Heptathlon – a record that still stands. To commemorate the achievement, the JJK Center invites 7,291 people to donate $10 each (for each of Jackie’s 7,291 points in the Heptathlon) toward a campaign goal of $72,910.00 for the center. To date, the campaign has raised $1,710.00 for programs and operation costs.
“We know everybody don’t have $250 to purchase a ticket but you can put $10 online,” Roberson said.
To purchase tickets, email AngelaRoberson@jjkfoundation.org or visit JJKFoundation.org. To donate, visit www.GoFundMe.com/4hsp3c.
