Robertsons to speak at gala

CONWAY — The 35th annual fundraising gala for Life Choices in Conway in September will have a “way more casual” look and feel this year, Executive Director Maria Speer said.

The goal is still to make money for the organization’s programs, which include free pregnancy tests, limited ultrasounds and a parenting program.

Also, a $1.25 million capital campaign, announced at last year’s gala, is underway to build a facility for Life Choices.

Celebrating 35 Years of Life is set for Sept. 12 at the Conway Expo Center and Fairgrounds. This year’s featured speakers are Alan and Lisa Robertson of A&E’s Duck Dynasty.

“We’re super excited about that,” Speer said. She said Alan, the oldest and beardless brother in the family, wasn’t on many of the early episodes, but he has been featured more in recent episodes. Plus, she said with a laugh, “I think he’s growing a beard.”

Board member Donna Gray of Greenbrier said she is excited about the different direction for the banquet.

“We are so excited to have the Robertsons coming and are just bubbling with expectancy about how that’s going to get used, by them sharing,” Gray said.

The event will include a catfish-and-chicken dinner and a live auction. “We’re lining up items for that now,” Speer said.

An update on the group, which is entirely funded by donations, and the capital campaign is planned, too, Speer said.

“We’re still in the process. We knew it would be a couple of years. No huge developments, yet,” she said.

Life Choices leases office space in a two-story former home at 609 Locust St. in downtown Conway. Last year after the gala, Speer said, the goal was to locate in west Conway, near the University of Central Arkansas, to be near the organizations’s target audience.

“We’re still looking,” Speer said. “We had a few things, and then those didn’t happen.”

The capital campaign has strong support, she said.

“We’ve got people who are donating monthly specifically for that campaign,” Speer said, adding that a separate account has been set up for the campaign. “We’ve got people making pledges they’ll make over three years, so it’s growing.”

Gray said the ministry has been blessed at each location it has had.

“We’ve been blessed for years with support from various entities,” she said. The pledges are “affirmation to us that we’re headed in the right direction.” She said that under Speer’s direction and with support from donors, a “forever home” is next for the ministry.

Visits to Life Choices in 2013 totaled 2,700; visits in 2014 were “a little under 2,000,” Speer said. “We attribute that to some of our clients being able to access health care sooner because of Obamacare. Clients benefited from having insurance and access to health care. All that started in 2014,” she said. “We’re still seeing our target clients — those who are uncertain about what they are going to be doing with their pregnancy.”

Speer said the organization expects 1,000 people at the gala, and more table sponsorships are needed.

Gray said table sponsorships start at $300. “Our goal is always to cover all the expenses of the event, with people having felt led to purchase tables and invited people to come,” she said. The gala is one of the organization’s major fundraisers, “so then whatever people feel led to contribute the night of the gala, all that is straight to the ministry cost.”

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for the gala. For more information about sponsoring a table or attending the event, email lifechoicesgala@gmail.com or call (501) 329-5944.

Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.

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