Vista Vocational And Life Skills Center Annual Starlight Benefit

Vista Vocational and Life Skills Center Hosts Annual Starlight Benefit  

Celebrate The Artist Within Is This Year’s Theme

Vista Vocational and Life Skills Center invites you to join them on Saturday, April 13^th at Water’s Edge Resort and Spa as they “Celebrate The Artist Within,” this year’s theme for their highly anticipated gala, the annual Starlight Benefit.

Vista, a nationally recognized and fully accredited nonprofit 501©©3 organization, provided services for nearly 200 adults with neurological disabilities this year.  The organization has been a shoreline presence since 1989 with campuses in Guilford, Madison, and Westbrook, and the Starlight Benefit helps fund and ensure the continued success of its mission:  To provide services and resources to assist adults with disabilities to live an independent and successful life.  Though now in a much different form from its early days, the Starlight Benefit has been an annual event for over a decade. 

Originally a grassroots, multi-day, casual affair held on the grounds of the Westbrook campus, the benefit quickly grew and was eventually moved to its current location at the bucolic Water’s Edge Resort and Spa, just a few miles from where it first began.  It is now an evening affair comprised of a bit of elegance and a great deal of excitement, much of which is generated by the annual auctions.  Guests will have the opportunity to participate in the genially competitive silent auction while enjoying hors d’ouevres.   Later in the evening as dinner is served, the live auction typically showcases some spirited bidding.  Last year’s guests enjoyed a glimpse of good-natured competition sparked by the venerable rivalry between a Red Sox and a Yankees fan as each pursued game tickets.  

 This April’s event marks the second year the fete has a theme--"Celebrate The Artist Within."  Vista is excited to have guests from the entire shoreline community joining them to celebrate their inner artist! Attendees are asked to don black and/or white cocktail attire, and throughout the evening Vista will provide opportunities for each guest to add some color! 

Like the Starlight Benefit, Vista itself has grown and evolved throughout its almost 25 year history.  It has become nationally known for its innovative, dynamic post secondary services and programs. The organization continues its commitment to providing a nurturing, challenging, supportive community designed  to help its students and members live independent, fully realized lives. That commitment helped generate the idea for this year’s benefit theme, “Celebrate The Artist Within.”

Vista recently broadened its programming with the implementation of a new arts initiative.  Comprised of a variety of offerings and opportunities, the success of the effort was in happy evidence during a recent exhibition of student work at Scranton Memorial Library in downtown Madison.  On the evening of March 7th, More than 150 people filled the library’s main room where they were treated to theatrical skits featuring the thespian skills of Vista students, and an impressive exhibition of professional quality photography and artwork produced by students enrolled in the new programs.    A special auction during the Starlight Benefit will directly support the arts programming initiative. 

As Vista continues to so successfully fulfill its mission, it also continues to recognize and value the ongoing support of its community, and the Starlight Benefit is a wonderful opportunity to welcome old and new friends.  Vista invites everyone to “have a hand in our success” by joining them on Saturday, April 13^th from 6:00 until 10:00 p.m. at the Starlight Benefit.

Tickets and sponsorship information are available through the website at www.vistavocational.org or by calling 860-399-8080.