Gatepath held its 11th Annual Power of Possibilities on March 21, 2019. Each year our community comes together to celebrate what is possible when we see each person for their unique abilities. I am happy to report that this year was our most successful fund raising event ever. I’m extremely grateful to all of our attendees, our community partners, our sponsors and benefactors, our staff and volunteers who do such a fantastic job of putting on the event. A special thank you goes out to our wonderful co-hosts, the Gatepath Auxiliary.

I’m also grateful to our special guests, Superbowl MVP and NFL Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Warner and Emmy award-winning journalist Nancy O’Dell. Through his personal experiences of raising a child with developmental disabilities, Kurt knows the importance of what we do at Gatepath. He shared his appreciation for our work and inspired us with his powerful words about how each of us can make a difference by simply taking the time to include those with developmental disabilities in our daily activities.

I also want to acknowledge and thank our Gatepath program participants who volunteered as event ambassadors and to the former Neal Poppin Award winners who joined us. Celebrating the lives of our Gatepath program participants is what this event is all about. We saw that with Mitzi Zwierlein, this year’s Neal Poppin Award winner, who has worked at McDonald’s for more than 41 years! Mitzi’s success and positive attitude are shining examples of what is possible when everyone in our community is given the opportunity to pursue their aspirations.  I am proud of the role our Gatepath staff have played in supporting Mitzi as she continues to fulfill her dreams.  Follow the link to see Mitzi’s inspiring story: https://youtu.be/B5ulqV1HF8I.

The Power of Possibilities and the services we provide at Gatepath wouldn’t be possible without the support of our entire community. I want to express our gratitude to representatives from local businesses, foundations, nonprofits, government offices, and the families and friends of those we serve. Your compassion and generosity make a difference in the lives of those we serve and it is sincerely appreciated.

Thank you again to everyone involved in making the event so inspiring and so successful. We’ll see you at next year’s Power of Possibilities event as we celebrate Gatepath’s 100th anniversary!