Providence Children's Museum's Annual Gala Nets Over $84,000

On Thursday, April 25, Providence Children's Museum welcomed 220 guests to Providence Public Library for its annual gala fundraiser, "Unplugged – The Way to Play." The festive event netted over $84,000 to benefit the Museum and help provide valuable play and learning opportunities for children and families in need. The evening celebrated community and the Museum's role in bringing families together for joyful play and learning experiences.

Generous Museum supporters bid nearly $25,000 on 70 live and silent auction items, including a New York weekend getaway and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" taping and two exclusive cooking classes with John Elkhay; they also purchased 28 charitable Children's Museum memberships for low-income families.

The event also honored the following local leaders who foster community well-being through shared fun and learning:

• John Elkhay of Hope, RI, owner of Chow Fun Food Group, is the creative force behind five of the city's most acclaimed restaurants: 10 Prime Steak & Sushi, Rick's Roadhouse, Luxe Burger Bar, XO Café, and Harry's Bar & Burger. He also co-founded the Ross Elkhay Foundation in memory of his son to support children and their families who are living with life-altering or terminal illnesses.


• Mike Tamburro of Seekonk, MA, president of the Pawtucket Red Sox since 1985 and general manager from 1977-1984, has led the organization through a remarkable transformation to overcome challenges and become one of the strongest and most successful franchises in professional baseball. Under his leadership, PawSox games bring together over 550,000 fans annually.


• Laurie White of North Kingstown, RI, president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, heads the state's largest private sector business advocacy and economic development organization. In recent years, the Chamber has focused on developing the state's knowledge economy by driving entrepreneurship, medical/academic/industry collaboration, technology transfer, talent retention, competitive tax policy, niche industry identification and business recruitment.


• Cliff Wood of Providence, RI, executive director of the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy, heads a public-private partnership working to preserve and revitalize Providence's historic downtown core and transform it into a lively, cohesive and prosperous economic and cultural center through the development and stewardship of exceptional public spaces.

Providence Children's Museum Gratefully Acknowledges the Unplugged Sponsors