Looking Back and Launching Ahead at Our Annual Luncheon
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On one hand, GEEARS’ Annual Luncheon last Thursday was all about misty-eyed nostalgia. Welcoming over 200 guests to the Carlos Ballroom at Zoo Atlanta’s Savanna Hall, Executive Director Mindy Binderman celebrated our organization’s origins 15 years ago, when early education was our “bread and butter.” Back then, she reminisced, we were still working toward our current, more expansive vision for Georgia’s youngest children and their families, one that focuses on early learning as well as healthy development and family supports.
We also looked back on a beloved TV show, Blue’s Clues, originally hosted by our insightful and delightful keynote speaker, Steve Burns. Introducing him, GEEARS board member, Rabbi Peter Berg, said, “Steve made quiet kids feel heard and little kids feel big. He made children who felt lonely or lost feel like they had a true friend. He gave and kept giving, even when it was hard.”
These reminiscences were both a celebration and a comfort at a particularly fraught time, when funding for Head Start, SNAP, and WIC was teetering on the precipice.
But it was, in part, because of those threats—and our determination to face them as a cohesive community—that our luncheon was also very much about looking forward.
We honored early childhood heroes Georgia Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and Gwinnett Building Babies Brains, whose Asif Jessani offered his own gift after picking up his glass trophy: “The best thing about the content that we’ve created as part of Building Babies’ Brains is that anyone and everyone in this room could use [our professional development content for early educators]. Just remove Gwinnett from the top of the Building Babies’ Brains logo and you’re able to use all of this content. If you’re a community partner, you could easily drop your logo on any of the content that’s created.”
This collaborative spirit infused the entire gathering. Attendees both socialized and exchanged ideas and business cards. They reconnected with old pals from the early childhood trenches and sought out introductions to new acquaintances. They all seemed to be steeling each other for the challenges ahead.
“We’re in the midst of a government shutdown that’s going to start having real, painful effects on our Head Start program as soon as next Friday,” Atlanta City Council member Matt Westmoreland observed before finding his way to his table. “And so, it is refreshing and encouraging to be with a group of people committed to this work in such an uncertain time. It makes me convinced that we’re going to get to the other side all right.”
And of course, our luncheon’s success also depended upon the collaboration of our event sponsors, our host committee, the donors who contributed prizes to our raffle, and the hundreds who purchased raffle tickets.
Scroll below to view photos of this warm and inspiring gathering. If you weren’t able to make it, you can still support GEEARS’ critical work for Georgia kids and families. Simply click the button below to donate.
