Akron Charity Ball
Akron Charity Ball (ACB) was born out of one annual event called Halloween Charity Ball (HCB), which was founded in 2003 by a small group of enthusiastic young professionals who wanted to make a difference in their local community. The idea was simple – throw an awesome party, charge money to get in, and give that money to charity. In other words – A Party With A Purpose!
In the early years, Halloween Charity Ball was held at the Highland Theater in Highland Square. The HCB team handled all the logistics of the event from organization to promoting to staffing the event. In 2006, long time friend Katie Greenwald came on board to lend her awesome event planning skills. Katie served alongside the founders from 2006 – 2014. In 2017, loyal HCB supporter, Jessica Goldbourn, joined the team. In 2018, one of the founders, Krista Beddell, who will always be a supporter of HCB, left the active planning to focus on family. From 2003 – 2010 HCB remained at the Highland Theater raising money for a combination of national and local nonprofits.
The event continued to grow, and in 2011, HCB made the move to The Tangier in Akron to accommodate the growing guest list! It was also around this time the HCB team decided that all funds raised would be directed only to local nonprofits. While the team appreciated the work of national charities, the consensus was that they wanted the money to stay right here in greater Akron.
In 2020, the current leaders including Getta Kutuchief, Samantha Coldwell and Jessica Goldbourn, decided to change the name of their efforts to something more inclusive of their year-round philanthropic endeavors: Akron Charity Ball. Over the years, the group has raised money for a host of deserving local nonprofits including, Victim Assistance Program, Akron Rotary Camp, The Battered Women’s Shelter, Andrea Rose Teodosio Foundation, Community AIDS Network, the Rape Crisis Center, Akron Public Schools, Open M Free Clinic, Young Black Professionals Coalition, Akron Snow Angels, Stewart’s Caring Place: Cancer Wellness Center, PechaKucha Akron, Not Just October, The Ohio Shakespeare Festival, The Blick Center, and Summit Liberty House. This 100% volunteer group which is led by all women, has raised nearly $400,000 over its 17-year history.
