Nov. 4 charity bash honors Eckersley, Lobel: Andover nonprofit at Ironstone Farm supported by baseball-themed gala

Join a party guaranteed to be a hit at Ironstone Farm’s baseball-themed Spirit of Giving Gala on Saturday, Nov. 4. The party is Ironstone Farm’s major fundraiser of the year, supporting the nonprofit programs that provide therapy for children with special needs, veterans and others.

This year’s gala honors Hall-of-Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley and sports anchor Bob Lobel for their spirit of giving and tremendous contributions in the community at large and to Ironstone Farm’s nonprofit programs specifically. For tickets,visit www.ironstonefarm.org/gala, or its ticket website http://mktix.com/chu/.

Known for its willingness to take a big swing at fun and reinvent itself each year, Ironstone Farm’s gala annually delivers something unexpected. This year’s “vintage baseball” theme comes with the tagline “Take Me Out to the Gala.” The party begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

Jon Abrams and his Billy Joel’s Rock 'n' Roll Show will entertain the crowd with a live music show. Dinner, live and silent auctions for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and raffles for other great prizes are among the activities. Formal gala attire, including black-tie, is encouraged. People may adopt a “vintage baseball flair,” by sporting their favorite team’s colors through ties and other gala-worthy accessories.

All the money raised supports Ironstone Farm’s nonprofit programs. Ironstone Farm, on Route 133 in Andover, provides therapy for children and adults with special needs, people diagnosed with cancer, veterans who have experienced trauma, families at risk, elders with memory issues and a new program for people recovering from addiction – using the healing connection of horses and the farm environment.

(For tickets,visit www.ironstonefarm.org/gala, or its ticket website http://mktix.com/chu/. You may also call the farm at 978-475-4056 or visit its welcome center at 450 Lowell St. (Route 133), Andover, MA)

For more information, please contact Neil Fater at Ironstone Farm at 978-475-4056 Ext. 23 or at neilfater@challengeunlimited.org. Or visit the Ironstone Farm website, ironstonefarm.org.

ABOUT SPIRIT OF GIVING HONOREE DENNIS ECKERSLEY

Dennis Eckersley’s 24-year career is one of the finest for any pitcher in Major League Baseball. He won 197 games and saved 390 more. He revolutionized the role of the closer and is seventh among the all-time save leaders. Known affectionately as Eck, he is a six-time All Star, and in 1992 he earned the coveted Cy Young Award and American League’s MVP, a rare honor for pitchers. Today he serves as a color commentator for the Boston Red Sox on NESN and on TBS during the MLB post-season. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. But he is celebrated at Ironstone Farm for his role on our Leadership Committee that is helping to renovate our buildings and expand our nonprofit programs – and for the day he visited and sat with our children, chatting, signing baseballs and giving them the gift of a lifetime!

ABOUT JOANN WEBER HONOREE BOB LOBEL

A Boston sports-reporting icon for more than four decades, Bob Lobel has been a beloved sports-news anchor for WBZ-TV Boston, weekly sports program host of Sports Final and Patriots 5th Quarter, NFL and NBA game announcer, NCAA tournament sideline reporter and Fenway Park announcer. While we applaud his amazing career, more important to Ironstone is Bob’s generous use of talent and celebrity to support charitable causes throughout New England, including Children’s Hospital, the Genesis Fund and others whose missions align with ours in helping children with disabilities. Long before Bob suffered with his own disability, he recognized the plight of others who had no voice. For this reason we award him Ironstone’s Joann Weber Award, named for a person of courage, caring and generosity where it counts most.

MORE ABOUT IRONSTONE FARM

Ironstone Farm is home to the nonprofit organizations Challenge Unlimited and Ironstone Therapy. Its programs combine several powerful therapies into one effective program for children and adults with special needs. Clients are referred to Ironstone Therapy by top doctors and institutions. Ironstone uses the dynamic motion of a horse, which mimics the walking motion of a person and works multiple muscle groups at once. The inviting atmosphere of a farm improves social interactions and makes therapy a “want to” event rather than a “have to” session.

Additional programs at Ironstone Farm benefit people living with cancer, veterans returning with post-traumatic stress disorder, elders with memory issues, teens at risk and others. Clients come to Ironstone Farm from more than 90 communities in the Merrimack Valley, Greater Boston and Southern New Hampshire areas. More than 200 people each week volunteer their time because they know their donated work changes lives.

ARTWORK

Lowell artist Joe Farnham donated his artwork to enhance the experience. You can learn more about him and his vintage baseball creations at http://www.drawntothegameart.com/.

TICKETS

For gala tickets, call 978-475-4056 or click on this link: https://prod.mkat.com/mktixrun...

Can't make the event, but want to support Ironstone Farm? Buy raffle tickets in advance. You don't need to be present to earn a great prize: https://prod.mkat.com/mktixrun...