To the Journal editor:

On behalf of the Superior Health Foundation team, its funding partners, board of directors and gala planning committee, we extend a hearty thank you to the many friends, family and incredible businesses that supported our Ninth Annual Superior Health Foundation Gala on Sept. 12 in the Northern Center on the campus of Northern Michigan University.

This year, in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the Superior Health Foundation hosted a live, virtual event that ran approximately one and one-half hours. That evening, we heard from our two incredible funding partners — Great Lakes Recovery Centers and the Healthy Youth Coalition of Marinette & Menominee Counties. We had the unique opportunity to hear the beautiful, soothing voice of Joshua Davis — a finalist on “The Voice” several years ago.

We sold all of our silent auction items. We ran out of prize boxes.

Simply put, the gala was a tremendous success during a time of unrest and uncertainty.

We’re so incredibly thankful to the many U.P.-wide sponsors that honored their sponsorship commitments. We’re abundantly blessed to have had the opportunity to buy many prize items through our COVID-19 Prize Sponsorship levels. It was our way of saying thank you for all of our friends for their ongoing support.

We were honored to award each of our funding partners $10,000 for projects that address behavioral health needs in the Upper Peninsula.

We thank Tony Beres of LaDolce Video and NMU Audio Visual Services for being so incredibly talented and assuring us that the event would go off without any problems. It did, and for that, we are thankful.

We thank Lizzie Corser of Northern Center & Event Services for working so closely with us and adapting during these troubling times.

And, last but not least, we thank many of you who charitably supported our event with gifts that will go toward much-needed behavioral health initiatives all across the Upper Peninsula.

Yes, we missed our many guests who otherwise would have attended. We missed that friendship and camaraderie. Yet, the show went on and it was truly a memorable evening.

Thank you! Thank you!

JIM LaJOIE

Executive Director

Superior Health Foundation

Marquette