About
The Breakthrough T1D Hope Gala is recognized as one of Raleigh’s premier social and philanthropic events. This year we will celebrate a Night of Stars and Hope at the Pavilion at the Angus Barn on Saturday, May 10, 2025. Join us for an unforgettable night to include a cocktail reception, delicious plated dinner, expansive silent auction, one of a kind live auction and reception with live music and dancing! Guests will have the opportunity to change lives during our signature Fund a Cure portion of the evening; we could not do any of this without you!
Become a part of this inspirational event and help us turn Hope into a reality by turning Type One into Type None!
Event Leadership
Suzanne and Heath Clayton
Honorees
We found ourselves in the JDRF (now Breakthrough T1D) community over 15 years ago when our 20-month old son Chance was diagnosed with type one diabetes (T1D). Words cannot describe what we felt when we learned our baby boy would have an illness that would affect him potentially for the rest of his life. And, how this would affect his twin Tasman and raising our sons.
Sorrow turned to hope when we were contacted by a JDRF mentor shortly after Chance’s hospital stay. She brought her 4-year old son to our house the week we got home and showed us how his insulin pump worked. She told us “you can do this”. And, “you are not alone”. We knew then and there that we were not alone. With the help other of JDRF families and supporters, we would advance medical treatments together and find a cure for T1D. From that day on, our family has been on a mission to develop better treatments and a cure for T1D, and help others in our situation. That was in 2009.
Fast forward to 2025. Chance is on a closed loop insulin pump/CGM delivery system. First the Medtronic system and now Tandem/Dexcom. At the time he was one of the youngest in the WakeMed Pediatric practice to go on such a groundbreaking device. These life saving and changing devices were heavily funded by JDRF research to develop and perfect the algorithms that keep Chance and others in safer blood glucose ranges. This enabled Chance and our family return to a new normal where Chance could start to do other activities that kids do like sleepovers and has enabled Chance to thrive as a young man and as an athlete.
Chance competitively climbs for Team Triangle Rock Club and frequently does outdoor activities like rock climbing, camping, and hiking. This does entail advance planning for diabetes supplies and emergency backups, but Chance and our family do not let T1D define who we are – a family that loves travel, adventure and the outdoors.
We are hopeful and optimistic that the funding Breakthrough T1D is generating at the Hope Gala and through other events will literally “breakthrough” the T1D barrier and give Chance and others living with T1D a life without type 1 diabetes.
Amy, Ava, and Dave Merola
Gala Chairs
Jill and John Marino
Auction Chairs
John and Jill Marino are originally from Greenwich, Connecticut and have lived in Chapel Hill for more than 20 years. They moved here to help begin Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, where John is the Director of Golf and Jill serves as the Membership Director. Together they have three children, Mats (18), Thijs (15) and Maren (9). Thijs was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in July 2023 and has been doing wonderfully since his diagnosis with the help of an incredible attitude, aided by great medical care and technology. Jill will be running for Team Breakthrough T1D this fall in the Chicago Marathon. They are excited to help raise awareness and funding for Type 1 Diabetes.
Diane Adams + Kristen Senter
Fund A Cure Chairs
Heath Clayton – Bourbon Committee Chair
Wes Gelpi
Paul Warren
Keith Moffat
Dave Merola
Wortham Boyle
Scott Souza
Damon Blaco
Orlin Taylor
Chad Hunter
Event Details
5:45 PM –‘Cosmic’ Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction
7:00 PM – ‘Out of This World’ Opening Remarks and Seated Dinner
8:30 PM – ‘Written in the Stars” Live Auction and Fund a Cure
9:30 PM – “Dancing with the Stars’ After–Party with Live Music from Heads up Penny
11:00 PM – Event Concludes
Important Event Details for In-Person Guests
The Night of Stars and Hope Gala is cocktail attire.
Complimentary Valet Parking is available. The event will start at the Pavilion at the Angus Barn at 5:45pm on May 10th, 2025.
The Cocktail Hour will be held from 5:45pm-6:45pm.
Prior to entering the Cocktail Reception, all guests must go through our registration process located just inside the entrance. This is also where you will purchase tickets for our sweepstakes items.
All guests will be asked to link a credit card to their account. Cards will not be charged until the week following the event, and payment methods can easily be changed by emailing Steph at scaronna@breakthrought1d.org.
For the best bidding experience, please turn off Wi-Fi when you enter the venue. Don’t forget, you may set “max bids” on Greater Giving for your favorite items and enjoy the evening without constantly checking your phone to see if you’ve been out-bid.
Auction Pick-Up will be available at the end of the program in the front tent.
Please join us for our after party featuring Heads up Penny immediately after the program!
If you have any changes to your guest record in the days leading up to the event, please contact one of us as soon as possible. All guests are asked to provide a mailing address. If you have not done so, or have recently changed addresses, please let us know.
Thank you for supporting Breakthrough T1D and our vision of a world without type 1 diabetes!
Auction Pickup Details
Pickup will occur the night of the event immediately after the Fund a Cure program ends. Pickup will take place in the Registration Tent next to the entrance. Any items that are not picked up the night of the event must be picked up by the purchaser by arranging time with Breakthrough T1D staff. Please email Steph Caronna at scaronna@breakthrought1d.org to arrange any pickup after the event.
Auction Rules:
Bidding on the Silent Auction items will be through the Greater Giving Mobile Bidding Platform. Any Live Auction bidding will occur live at the Gala. All bids are final and non-retractable. There will be no exchange or refund on items unless otherwise specified. We accept cash, check, Discover, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. DAF payments are not allowed for auction items.
Please carefully check envelopes containing gift certificates before leaving. Breakthrough T1D is not responsible for replacing gift certificates lost after you leave the event. Breakthrough T1D is under no obligation to extend, modify or change items or restrictions on items/certificates. Please pay careful attention to all conditions, restrictions, and expirations on items and services. Unless otherwise stated, gift certificates exclude alcohol, tax and gratuity. Unless otherwise noted, all auction items and services must be used within one year of the 2025 A Night of Stars and Hope Gala. We appreciate your strict observance of these restrictions, as future donations depend upon it.
Breakthrough T1D cannot ship alcohol. You must be 21+ to purchase any package with alcohol items included. Winning bidders are responsible for any shipping and insurance charges. Auction items not collected within one (1) year of the event will become property of Breakthrough T1D.
Dates for all trips and similar events must be mutually arranged with donor, unless noted. All reservations should be made at least one month in advance. All tickets in travel packages are for coach travel, unless otherwise specified. No refunds are permitted for canceled, lost, or unused tickets and/or accommodations. Airline blackout dates apply to all tickets, regardless of airline, unless specifically noted. Blackout dates are subject to change. Tickets cannot be reissued or refunded.
All completed sales from this event are considered transactions solely between the purchaser and the donor of the auction item. All gift card usage is the responsibility of the buyer. Although the gift card and amount is currently valid, Breakthrough T1D is not responsible for unused gift cards at businesses that may cease to operate before the expiration date. Auction items may not be transferred from the original buyer to another auction outside of Breakthrough T1D without prior written consent from the donor.
Breakthrough T1D has endeavored to catalogue and describe the auction items correctly on-line, in the ballroom, and the electronic bidding devices, but all items are sold “as-is”. No statements contained in the program or made orally at the sale or elsewhere shall be deemed a warranty, representation or assumption of liability. Bidders should carefully note the specific restrictions, conditions, and expiration dates for items purchased. Items depicted in the slide presentation, auction display and on electronic devices are for illustration purposes and may not be actual auction items.
Breakthrough T1D reserves the right to withdraw any item from sale.
Auction Pickup Details
Pickup will occur the night of the event immediately after the Fund a Cure program ends. Pickup will take place in the Registration Tent next to the entrance. Any items that are not picked up the night of the event must be picked up by the purchaser by arranging time with Breakthrough T1D staff. Please email Steph Caronna at scaronna@breakthrought1d.org to arrange any pickup after the event.
Heads up Penny
Event Entertainment
Benjamin Farrell
Auctioneer
Read MoreBenjamin Farrell
Auctioneer
Benjamin Farrell is a professional Benefit Auctioneer, Speaker, and Trainer serving charities and non-profits nationwide. As a proud graduate of Mendenhall School of Auctioneering, a certified member of the John C. Maxwell Leadership Team, and Goodmon Fellow with Leadership Triangle; Benjamin draws upon experience from over 1,000 fundraising events to help each fundraising partner achieve their full potential.