From providing vital community support to fostering a sense of unity and resilience, Specially Gifted Foundation has truly made a difference in the lives of many families caring for children with disabilities. As we reflect on SGF’s impact in 2023, we are blessed to celebrate the connections we made, families we served, and our SGF community – that’s YOU – that makes it all possible!
Let’s take a look at what it looked like to partner with SGF in 2023.
Kicking Off 2023
We started the year off celebrating SGF’s 3-year anniversary. As we reflected on our journey, we were reminded of the power of community. It is a privilege to serve and an honor to share our mission with so many.
A few days later, SGF Co-Founder Macey took advantage of an incredible opportunity to share SGF with a huge audience during the Business Mastery Tony Robbins conference. What was already an exhilarating experience turned out to be a chance for people from all over to hear about and give back to SGF.
It started with Macey uploading a SGF themed background to her zoom profile during the call. Members from The Builders Team, mostly made up of real estate professionals, agreed to donate $5 for every zoom background changed to our cause. This led to $1,467.83 in funds raised!
Following these two memorable events was our first gifting of 2023, Ella’s family. Her parents reached out to SGF when they discovered abnormalities in her white matter, which led to uncertainty and fear.
A testament to the impact our community helps us to create comes from Ella’s dad, Kyle.
“…but this is where our village and SGF came in to provide us with hope and support, which has meant more than we could imagine and has helped to provide some additional bit of perspective of what a meaningful life is about.”
Kyle Goldich
SGF exists to show up right where you are, whether that’s in the beginning stages of a diagnosis or years into hardships and struggling to survive.
Our next gifting experience in 2023 was for one of our 2022 families, Julian and his family. This gifting was made possible through our 2022 Giving Tuesday Campaign. The SGF team delivered Julian’s custom adaptive tricycle from Freedom Concepts to him at his school in front of dozens of his friends and teachers.
Not only did we gift Julian at his school, but Dalton Public Schools Media was present to capture the moment. They featured his gifting on their website, which can be found here.
This wasn’t our only media feature in Q1. Calhoun Times also published an article in their annual Heritage Edition featuring our mission and Spring in the Valley Festival. You can read the full article here.
SGF’s Impact Shines Throughout Community
We love connecting with others, and the second quarter of 2023 was all about connections – new and old.
Kendra Scott at Perimeter Mall reached out with an opportunity to come to their store and share SGF with shoppers for a Kendra Gives Back event. Not only did Kendra Scott donate 20% of purchases made during our visit, but we also met with several people that related to and shared a passion for our mission.
Back to the word community – something our Gifted Families are always in need of. We hear from a lot of parents that they just want a space to “be” and connect comfortably with other parents/caregivers.
Next up is Spring in the Valley Festival. Although this is a fundraiser, it has become a huge community event. We had so many additions to 2023’s event and the anticipation was evident when people were lining up before the event even started.
As our third annual event, it was also the most successful to date, raising $25,040! SGF kiddo, John Wyatt, set the theme for the event with his t-shirt design, Sunshine in the Valley. A special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Relentless Chiropractic, for making this event possible.
From the trackless train and rock climbing, to shopping, food, and a car and bike show, it’s safe to say everyone was enjoying themselves. Our favorite part is the SGF Kids Game Booth, hands down. Run by therapists, this inclusive feature is set up with countless activities allowing typical children to play alongside children with disabilities.
SIV 2023’s success benefits our WHOLE mission by benefiting TWO NWGA families, the continued development of our online resource database, and to keep building a community for families caring for children with disabilities.
The first gifting from SIV 2023 was Brenan and his family. An anonymous sponsor chose to grant their request to help make their home more accessible for Brenan. His family has been working hard towards making it easier to care for him, even in the smallest ways, and ensuring they are able to do so for as long as possible.
Our second SIV gifting was Micah and his family. Micah’s mom, Tanya, expressed an urgent need to help the WHOLE family. They discovered mold in their home and was hit with an expensive mold remediation estimate. SGF gifted financial support toward this project, providing long-term benefits for their family.
SGF Makes a Difference, even in the Summertime
Q3 brings summertime, first day of school, beginning of football season, and more. It’s a busy time to try to plan anything, but we managed to squeeze some great events and relationships in there somehow.
Let’s start with a SGF favorite, our first annual SGF Family Photoshoot Day. Right before school started, we held a private photoshoot at a beautiful venue, The Farm, in Rome, Georgia. Even with everyone’s busy summer schedules, 10 of our Gifted Families were able to take advantage of this opportunity.
Aside from the previous family photos, we also had several of our families model our new SGF merch. In between sessions, families had the chance to meet and interact with one another. It was a lovely day spent making memories and we are grateful to everyone that made this such a special event.
This time of year also provided opportunities to network and build new community partnerships. SGF has been a proud member of Rome Floyd Chamber of Commerce for 2 years and also joined the Cobb Chamber of Commerce in 2023.
SGF Founders, Macey and Bree, attended a Business After Hours event held by the Cobb Chamber in August. They had the pleasure of meeting with other business owners and members of the Cobb community to share SGF.
Macey also met with State Farm agent Melissa Eldridge and her team. They had previously interviewed Macey and featured the interview in their Small Business Sunday collection. This meeting was another great opportunity to teach the different ways their office can get involved with SGF.
Wrapping Up 2023: Golf, Gala, Giftings, and More!
Some people might call us crazy for hosting 2 big events during one of the busiest times of the year. We like to think we are simply dedicated, and maybe a little crazy.
Apparently, we are not the only one’s because our communities showed up and supported us every step of the way as we wrapped up the year.
We hosted our second annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament at Indian Hills Country Club, sponsored by Amwins. With 29 teams showing up to tee off for a great cause, it was a day filled with laughter, competition, and sunshine.
Thanks to our generous sponsors, donors, and participants, we raised $25,570.14!
A few weeks after the golf tournament, we had the honor of participating in The Sweet Cocoon’s annual Halloween event again. This inclusive and accessible event makes it possible for all individuals with disabilities and special needs to enjoy Trick or Treating and other Halloween festivities.
Families are provided with the comfort that their children will not feel left out on this fun holiday. From candy to sensory items, everyone was able to fill their buckets with goodies.
Before we get into more events, let’s talk about a new partnership that will further benefit families caring for children with disabilities. We connected with CQA Care, a Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) provider that offers in-home healthcare services for children.
Carol Cook leads CQA Care and was eager to share their resources with the community we serve. It is an honor to be featured on CQA’s website and in turn share this beneficial resource with families in need.
Now, the biggest event of the year, the Specially Gifted Gala 2023, sponsored by HRlogics. With a theme, A Night at the Casino, the expectations are high for a night of entertainment.
Guests enjoyed casino games, delicious hors d’oeuvres and specially crafted beverages, networked with other guests, admired the showgirls, and experienced how much fun a Click 360 photo booth can be.
With all the fun being had and big wins at the tables, we almost forgot it was a fundraising event. That is until we caught a glimpse of the donations tracker on the big screen. By the end of the night, we raised an astounding $45,850.22! We were speechless. Our team, our mission, and the families to benefit from this event are forever grateful to our sponsors, donors, and guests for making this night extra special.
Did you think we were done after this? Nope. After celebrating the gala’s success, we immediately shifted focus to our Giving Tuesday campaign. We had a goal of gifting not one, but TWO families for Giving Tuesday 2023 – and we did it! Thanks to everyone that donated, we were able to gift Ashton’s family and Easton’s family!
But wait, we have MANY more giftings to celebrate in the last quarter of 2023. SGF welcomed Lawson, Ansley, Braylen, Hayden, and Leland and their families! Meet all 10 families gifted in 2023 here.
Celebrating a Small Organization With a Big Mission
Looking back on 2023, we are filled with gratitude for the impact we have been able to make. With each gifting, media feature, event, and partnership, we are one step closer to creating generations of positive change. We are honored to have you as part of our SGF community, and we look forward to the continued growth and impact in the years to come. Thank you for your unwavering support!
Let’s look back again on what we were able to build in 2023…
SGF Events & Campaigns
Third Annual Spring in the Valley Festival $25,040
Second Annual Specially Gifted Golf Tournament $25,570.14
Specially Gifted Gala $45,850.22
Giving Tuesday $2,467.76
Special Events Benefiting SGF
Business Mastery Tony Robbins conference $1,467.83
Kendra Gives Back $280.32
10 New Gifted Families
Providing Community & Resources
First Annual SGF Mom’s Coffee Date
First Annual SGF Family Photoshoot
The Sweet Cocoon’s Halloween Trick or Treat Event
Community Partnerships
CQA Care (NEW)
Cobb Chamber of Commerce (NEW)
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