Celebrating Our Roots at Wonderball 2024

It was a joyous evening this past Saturday, October 5, as hundreds of our most passionate supporters and new friends came together to celebrate at our annual fundraiser gala, Wonderball.  

This year’s Wonderball celebrated the power of community.  

After nearly three decades of providing the power of music to thousands of children, we wanted to honor the heart of our organization — gathering our joy to build community and connection.  

So we got back to the heart of it all: joy, music, and our mission in the community.  

And our community showed up in a big way, raising over $1 million (and counting!) to further JoyRx’s mission to help sick kids feel like kids again.  

Big Changes, With Joy

This year, we evolved our classic Wonderball model and pulled inspiration from our Live From the Heart concert series to connect us back to our root love of music.

In addition, we returned to our original venue for the first time in nearly twenty years, hosting Wonderball at the Portland Art Museum.

New this year, we launched our first annual Art for JoyRx. JoyRx-served kids collaborated with renowned artist Gary Hirsch to create stunning, one-of-a-kind works in the famous Botjoy style, capturing both their hardships and their joys during treatment. 

The seven pieces were auctioned off to guests, raising $10k towards our Wonderball total.

Tried and True Celebration

Despite the changes to Wonderball, one thing remains constant: our honoring of the families we serve.

First was Peter Tran, who was served by JoyRx and has now become a JoyRx Mentor. His story is an inspiring one of a teenager receiving a shocking diagnosis and, from that hardship, learning the importance of giving back to his community and paying joy forward.

“Today, I am lucky that I can focus on what brings me joy,” said Peter in his remarks. “When I walk the hallways of familiar hospitals to visit my mentee or do my rounds as a nurse, I feel the power of my community walking alongside me, rallying behind me. I know, with absolute certainty, that a small act of joy can change someone’s life.”

We also heard from Allison Wolfe, who visited from Austin to share her son Ford’s experience with JoyRx Music during a hard-fought Leukemia treatment.

“[My son] Ford’s journey is a special one,” said Allison. “He is resilient, and we are so proud of him. As he continues to grow up and make new memories with his friends and siblings, I want him to know that the fact that he was sick isn’t what will define who he is. It is his joy that will. His joy and his love.”

Both speakers received standing ovations for their powerful stories, highlighting just how far they’ve come. It’s with extreme gratitude that we honor their journeys.

Introducing the Purple Torch Award

Jack Pipkin, Senior Vice President of Development, was honored to introduce the Purple Torch Award, a new award created to honor our founding Board Chair, Clare Hamill. We will present this award yearly at Wonderball to celebrate our true leaders and supporters.

Presented to her by JoyRx Mentor and host Sophia and her mentee Hadley, it was a touching moment to celebrate the power of connection.

“The JoyRx Purple Torch Award… is our highest honor,” said Jack. “Tonight, for its inaugural presentation, we recognize the sparks of inspiration that Clare shared during our founding nearly thirty years ago, and the national growth she has helped fuel today.”

For years to come, the Purple Torch Award will highlight the impact that our extraordinary leaders make on our mission and the lives of children nationwide.

Performance by Goapele

We concluded the night with the main event celebrating the power of music: an exclusive performance from our special guest artist, Goapele.  

As an incredible singer, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, and humanitarian, Goapele has solidified herself amongst the most prolific R&B and soulful visionaries and creators of our time.  

Her performance was unforgettable for our guests, made sweeter by her presence being support for JoyRx-served families.  

Additionally, Goapele joined JoyRx Music Specialist Keenan on his rounds through Randall Children’s Hospital, performing bedside music to kids.  

Thank you!

This evening wouldn’t have been possible without the steadfast support of our sponsors. Thank you to our Silver Sponsor, ADP; our auction sponsor, the Standard; VIP sponsors, Driscoll’s Inc. and Fortis Construction; and our joy-level sponsors, Aetna, Barran Liebman, Becker Capital, ConMet, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, JGP Wealth Management, Kaiser Permanente, KeyBank, Legacy Health, Moda Health, NFP, and Pacific Office Automation.

View the photos from the incredible night here and below: