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Rebecca Alexander

An Enchanted Evening Indeed – A LightHouse Gala Recap

An Enchanted Evening Indeed – A LightHouse Gala Recap

It was a star-studded evening at the LightHouse Gala on Saturday, August 19. Our gala attendees showed up dressed to the nines ready to raise funds (and paddles!) for the rebuild and re-imagination of Enchanted Hills Camp.

As guests arrived, they were greeted with champagne and our signature gala cocktail, an Enchantini, as they perused the Silent Auction and caught surprise glimpses of framed legacy Enchanted Hills Camp photos, some dating back to the Rose Resnick days of the 1950s, sprinkled throughout the cocktail reception area in delicate gold frames.

When the doors to the Grand Ballroom opened, our guests were dazzled with twinkling bistro lights, fresh pine garlands adorning the tables and entry ways, and the rejuvenating scent of lush trees and crisp air that instantly transports your senses back to Enchanted Hills Camp. That night, the Westin St. Francis Hotel was the place to be!

LightHouse Gala Committee Co-chairs Kathryn Webster and Laura Allen, and LightHouse CEO Sharon (and dapper guide dog Pilot, dressed in a doggy-tuxedo) began the evening with a warm welcome, thanking our guests and gala sponsors for their time and generosity as we kicked off the evening’s program.

When keynote speaker Rebecca Alexander took the stage, she joyfully led our gala guests in a camp song, bringing the whimsy and silliness of summer camp to 350 audience members as they echoed her back with, “I said a boom-chicka-boom!” Rebecca told her story growing up with Usher Syndrome, her love for summer camp and passion for inclusive and accessible experiences for the blind, low vision, and deafblind community.

EHC Camp Director Tony Fletcher speaks into the microphone on stage

“Summer camps are a place where anyone, regardless of ability, can experience the power of community in nature. But I’m especially delighted to support LightHouse’s efforts to create a world-class facility to serve campers who might otherwise not have access to the confidence-building activities and opportunities Enchanted Hills offers,” says Rebecca.

As Tony Fletcher, EHC Camp Director, took the stage, he told the story of camp—about our start with Rose Resnick in 1950, our strength, and of our deeply-rooted community, then he spoke of the destruction from the 2017 Napa wildfires. A video played on the screen above the stage, and as images of a burnt and devastated redwood forest were shown, Tony told a story of resilience, of courage, and of determination.

As the moving and heartfelt words from Tony Fletcher hung in the air, we kicked off the live auction, led by auctioneer extraordinaire Greg Quiroga. The air became electric as the friendly (although at times, perhaps a bit fierce!) competition brewed in the room and auction paddles shot to the sky! As paddles raised, so did the funds to rebuild a beautiful, accessible, inclusive dream retreat for the blind community!

The evening ended with a beautiful musical performance by visually impaired singer-songwriter, Meghan Downing. As Meghan strummed her guitar, her angelic voice sang melodies reminiscent of the comfort and ease like the end of a perfect Enchanted Hills Camp day, warm and cozy around the campfire.

In total, the gala raised $680,000 for Enchanted Hills Camp! We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible love and support that was shown to EHC and the blind community. We’d like to specially thank Ben Jai for his unbelievably generous donation of $100,000 and a second significant donor who  gave an additional $90,000 to the building of the Redwood Grove Theatre! Accompanied by other special Gold and Silver donors, over $300,000 was raised for the rebuild of the theatre.

The construction of Redwood Grove will begin in mid-fall of this year! As construction of the theatre and other dream projects are underway, we will keep all of our friends, supporters, and campers updated!

As Enchanted Hills Camp approaches our 75th anniversary in 2025, we invite you to imagine the beautiful new space we are creating for generations of blind, low vision and deafblind campers to come. And who knows? The next gala just might take place in the heart of EHC as we celebrate growth, resilience, aspiration, and three quarters of a century of excellence in Summer 2025!

 

The Power of Camp to Build Confidence: A Conversation with Rebecca Alexander, Laura Allen, and Kathryn Webster

The Power of Camp to Build Confidence: A Conversation with Rebecca Alexander, Laura Allen, and Kathryn Webster

In 2017, the Nuns fire ripped through Napa and Sonoma Counties, and devastated the Enchanted Hills Camp property. It was a tragic moment, but we turned the challenge into opportunity: We’re building a reimagined, year-round home for blind and low-vision community members to grow, explore, and learn. 

On Saturday, August 19 from 6 to 11:30 pm at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco’s historic Union Square, we’ll gather the Lighthouse community and its supporters to benefit that effort at An Enchanted Evening. Rebecca Alexander, an Oakland-born disability rights advocate and award-winning author, is headlining the event. She is a psychotherapist, group fitness instructor, extreme athlete, and disability rights advocate whose mission is to inspire others to live deeply meaningful lives. Born with a rare genetic disorder called Usher syndrome (type 3A), she has been simultaneously losing both her vision and hearing since she was an adolescent. 

Recently, Rebecca and our gala committee chairs, Kathryn Webster and Laura Allen, sat down to talk about the importance of camp experiences in the lives of kids who are blind, low vision, or deafblind.

Rebecca helps facilitate camps in New York and New Jersey for kids with Usher syndrome, and talks about how much kids who attend expand their confidence. “The transition from meeting these kids on the day they come and the day they leave – there is no more fulfilling feeling than to see the evolution of these kids in just a week,” Rebecca said. “They’re surrounded by other kids who are just like them.” 

Kathryn described how a lack of blind and low vision peers as she grew up left her feeling very different. “If I knew about Enchanted Hills, about camps that gave me that exposure, I’d have been set up in a much different position when I was going to college,” Kathryn said. “But that’s the power of telling our story.” 

This event will celebrate Enchanted Hills’ unique stories, while ensuring it has lasting impact well into the future. 

“It’s so important for us to stop and celebrate the experience we can help create for children as well as their families at these camps,” Laura said. “Creating a place for children to play and be free, have adventures, be creative, play music, learn new skills, make friends, and, most importantly, have that sense of belonging.” 

“By supporting LightHouse and supporting this cause, you are affecting people’s lives for a lifetime,” Rebecca said. “You’re changing the trajectory of the confidence they will be able to build. That is something that Laura, Kathryn, and I all wish we had had access to growing up. We can’t change that, but we can change what children and their families have now.” 

Check out the full conversation in the video below. There are still tickets available for An Enchanted Evening, which will feature keynote speaker Rebecca Alexander and musical guest Meghan Downing

Learn More About Keynote Speaker Rebecca Alexander

Purchase LightHouse Gala Tickets

Announcing LightHouse Gala Keynote Speaker, Rebecca Alexander

Announcing LightHouse Gala Keynote Speaker, Rebecca Alexander

Rebecca Alexander is a woman with dark brown shoulder length hair and is wearing a white blouse under a black blazer.

With our Gala to celebrate Enchanted Hills Camp swiftly approaching, we are delighted to announce the keynote speaker for An Enchanted Evening (drumroll, please…) This year’s guest speaker will be renowned author and advocate for the Deafblind community, Rebecca Alexander!
 
Rebecca Alexander is also a psychotherapist, group fitness instructor, extreme athlete, and disability rights advocate whose mission is to inspire others to live deeply meaningful lives. Born with a rare genetic disorder called Usher syndrome (type 3A), she has been simultaneously losing both her sight and hearing since she was an adolescent. She is almost completely blind and deaf, and approaches life’s challenges with infectious curiosity and enthusiasm.
 
On August 19, Bay Area native, Rebecca, will return home to headline our gala at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco’s iconic and historic Union Square Plaza. The gala’s goal to raise funds for rebuilding and re-imagining our beloved Enchanted Hills Camp is a goal that reignites deeply with Rebecca.
 
“I have such fond memories of going to camp every summer from my childhood through my teenage years in Northern California,” said Rebecca. “Summer camps are a place where anyone, regardless of ability, can experience the power of community in nature. But I’m especially delighted to support LightHouse’s efforts to create a world-class facility to serve campers who might otherwise not have access to the confidence-building activities and opportunities Enchanted Hills offers.”
 
Learn more about Rebecca Alexander by visiting the Usher Syndrome Society website.
 
Tickets to An Enchanted Evening can be purchased for $500 and are selling fast. Those who purchase tickets before May 31 will receive a $100 discount per ticket with the use of promo code GALATIX at checkout. Please note, this cost includes your entry, dinner, drinks, as well as a generous donation to Enchanted Hills Camp.

Purchase LightHouse Gala tickets.