Community Corner

Sold-Out Event Taps 'Heart & Soul' of Community

The Farmington/Farmington Hills Community Foundation gala will feature an auction of fantasy packages that include spa days, trips and a hot-air balloon ride.

The economy may not yet have recovered, but Saturday's Heart & Soul Gala, a fundraiser for the , sold out Tuesday.

That says something, because the approximately 250 tickets sold for this annual party cost $150 per person. All the money stays in Farmington and Farmington Hills to support local nonprofit organizations, Executive Director Barbara Yuhas said.

Through the years, the foundation has supported 47 groups, including Farmington and Farmington Hills school programs, after-school programs and the Mayor's Youth Council, she added. Since its inception in 1995, the foundation has awarded nearly $500,000 in grants.

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The Heart & Soul Gala, to be held at 's showroom in Farmington Hills, is co-chaired by Anne Lekher and Sam Slaughter. Yuhas said the co-chairs and board of directors have stepped up this year because she was sidelined with emergency surgery last fall.

"This year, I have not been involved, and the board members have really rallied to make this a good event," Yuhas said. "I'm excited to see a lot of new people getting involved."

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The Heart & Soul theme has carried through the past few years, she said, because the event is close to Valentine's Day. But there's another reason as well.

"We call ourselves and our donors the 'heart and soul' of the community," Yuhas said.

One thing that has changed through the years is the dress code.

"It originally was a black-tie event," Yuhas said. "Then it was black-tie optional. Now, we just call it dressy. ... We wanted to get away from this intimidating event."

The annual live auction will give attendees a chance to bid on fantasy packages that include spa days, trips and a hot-air balloon ride with retired General Motors executive Bob Lutz, she added.

For more information about the foundation, visit ffhfoundation.org.


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