The Dimock Center raises over $1M at 30th Anniversary Steppin' Out Gala - celebrates with Kool & the Gang and Mary Wilson

BOSTON │ On October 21 over 1,000 guests filled the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Boston Hotel for
The Dimock Center’s 30th Anniversary Steppin’ Out Gala with much to celebrate. Hosted by WCVB’s Karen Holmes Ward, The Dimock Center’s annual gala paid tribute to a who’s who of friends, past board presidents and CEOs, and longtime partners at TJX Companies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Red Sox Foundation, as well as Sanofi Genzyme, Liberty Mutual and DELL. All of them have played a pivotal role in turning the annual affair into the city’s premiere multicultural event. What started in 1987 as a one-time event to celebrate the Center’s 125th anniversary has evolved into Dimock’s single largest annual source of critically needed unrestricted funds. Those funds support Dimock’s comprehensive programs that impact over 18,000 adults and children in Greater Boston each year.

Honoring the Past, Heralding the Future

While the evening honored The Dimock Center’s illustrious past, it was the present and future that stole the spotlight. “I walk through our historic campus every day … and I see growth, I see acceptance, I see kindness, and I see change,” said Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, Dimock’s president and CEO. “From the gardens where our Head Start children grow their own vegetables, to our transitional housing for homeless families, to our $16 million state-of-the-art detox center (the Dr. Lucy Sewall Center for Acute Treatment Services) now under construction, I see The Dimock Center breaking new ground every day … in every way.”

Both Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin “Marty” J. Walsh were in attendance and spoke about Dimock’s innovative approach to anticipating and meeting the growing needs of the Boston community.

The Right Time for a ‘Celebration’

The evening’s program culminated with two unforgettable performances from R&B Legends Mary Wilson of the Supremes and Kool and the Gang. Wilson performed some of the Supremes’ most iconic hits such as “Baby Love,” “Stop in the Name of Love” and “Come See about Me.” Kool and the Gang’s high-octane show featured a 75-minute tour through their greatest hits, including “Ladies Night,” “Get Down on It” and “Joanna.” For the Dimock Center’s event, the band pulled out a lesser known single of theirs from the 1980s: “Steppin’ Out.” During the last half of their set, emcee Karen Holmes Ward jumped on stage to announce the breaking news that the evening’s final tally of funds raised had just exceeded the $1 million mark. Without missing a beat, the band broke into their iconic hit “Celebration,” and the ballroom erupted.

Once the curtain came down on the main stage, guests kept dancing right across the hall for a late-night party with rapper, beatboxer and DJ Biz Markie. Known around the globe for his hit “Just a Friend,” Markie kept everyone on their feet with dance hits from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.

Dimock’s Steppin’ Out Gala by the Numbers

While the marquee names that have graced Steppin’ Out’s stages over the years are impressive — Gladys Knight, The O’Jays, George Benson, Nancy Wilson, Roberta Flack, The Isley Brothers, and more — it’s the numbers that tell the story of how Dimock’s annual soiree has changed Boston’s health care landscape forever.

• $27 million in funds raised since 1987
• More than 300,000 adults and children served by Dimock’s various programs and services

“The behind-the-scenes driver of every Steppin’ Out Gala, one of the most diverse galas held in Boston, is Dimock’s mission: to redefine the model of a healthy community by creating equitable access to comprehensive, integrated health care and education,” said Minter-Jordan. “As a national leader in providing vital community health services to thousands of families in greater Boston, we rely heavily on the funds raised from Steppin’ Out to advance our mission, and that is always front and center in our gala planning process.”

In the Audience

Gala Co-Chairs Beverly Edgehill, vice president and global head of organizational development, The TJX Companies; and Arlene Fortunato, vice president for advancement, The Greater Boston Food Bank, and co-chair, Development Committee of the Dimock Community Foundation Board attended the event. Also in the audience were George MacNaught, senior vice president and director of stores, Home Goods, TJX Companies; 2017 Dimock Difference Leadership Award Honoree, Dr. David Meeker, president and CEO, KSQ Therapeutics and former executive vice president and head of Sanofi Genzyme; Melissa MacDonnell, president, Liberty Mutual Foundation; and Jackie Glenn, vice president and chief diversity officer, DELL. Dimock Community Foundation Board Chairman Flash Wiley and his wife, Bennie Wiley; Dr. David Barrash, chief medical officer, GE Foundation; and Jayne Carvelli-Sheehan, senior vice president, Systems Integration & Care Coordination, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center were present as well.

About The Dimock Center

Founded in 1862 as the New England Hospital for Women and Children, The Dimock Center provides comprehensive, integrated health care, mental health support and education to children and adults from Roxbury and surrounding neighborhoods. Dimock is unique among community health centers in its provision of the full continuum of substance use treatment, including inpatient detox, residential recovery and outpatient support, serving men and women from more than 212 zip codes across the state in response to the demand for care. Nationally recognized as a model for the delivery of comprehensive, integrated health and human services in an urban community, Dimock serves more than 18,000 people annually. For more information about programs and services, visit www.dimock.org.

The Dimock Center
55 Dimock Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
www.Dimock.org

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