Gov. Phil Scott’s second inaugural gala is set for next weekend.
The event will take place at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction on Saturday. Proceeds will be donated to organizations that provide programs and mentorship to children in Vermont.
Scott’s first inaugural gala in 2017, held at a helicopter hangar at the Vermont Air Guard complex in South Burlington, attracted a record 1,200 people, and brought in about $200,000.
The funds were donated to military organizations and causes throughout the state, including the Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation to help military members and their families meet emergency financial needs.
This year, the funds will go to organizations that provide mentorship and programming for children in the state. Organizers have yet to determine who will be receiving the proceeds, but possible beneficiaries include the YMCA, the YWCA, the Girl Scouts, or the Boy Scouts.
“They’re doing a great deal particularly with the single parent families now with the opiate crisis that’s going on,” said Richard Wobby, the organizer of the inaugural celebration.
The Champlain Valley Exposition will only be able to accommodate 600-650 people, but Wobby said that the governor and organizers had wanted to change the venue because of the logistical hurdles presented by having the gala at the Guard base.
Because the gala was held at a federal facility, all attendees had to have cursory background checks. Parking was also difficult, and in order to accommodate the crowd, guests had to take up space on a runway.
“Just getting on the airbase… is a feat in itself on a good day, and we were bringing twelve, fourteen hundred people onto it in one fell swoop,” Wobby said.
