BLACK TIE: Start 2018 fresh with these five event recommendations

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about our community in the few short months since launching Black Tie, it’s that there are people with generous hearts who donate time, funds and resources to worthy causes year-round. 

And although the holidays have now drawn to a close, marking the end of the “season of giving,” generosity truly doesn’t have a season.

That being said, we’re now gearing up to head into our springtime events. Here are five you definitely will want on your 2018 social calendar.

1. First & Goal Gala

7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27. Want to mingle with NFL alumni and local celebrities during Pro Bowl weekend? Look no further than this football-themed gala. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Change Everything CEO Andrae Bailey are hosting the event, which features food, spirits and more festivities. You’ll even get a great view of the city and Camping World Stadium from the venue — the 18th-floor Citrus Club — as you help benefit the Parramore Kidz Zone. Tickets start at $95 and can be purchased at bit.ly/2CH1Bq5. 

2. Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night To Shine

6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9. The brainchild of Heisman Trophy winner and New York Mets outfielder Tim Tebow, Night to Shine is truly an unforgettable experience for all. The event is hosted at hundreds of churches worldwide each year and offers an amazing prom-night experience for people with special needs ages 14 and older. This year, Night to Shine is expected to host 90,000 honored guests, with the help and support of 175,000 volunteers. Locally, both First Baptist Church Windermere and Celebration Church Orlando — in partnership with Radiant Life Assembly of God — are set to host this special night. For more information on how to get involved at the Orlando location, email [email protected]. For the Windermere location, email [email protected]. 

3. Winter Garden Art Association Splash Gala

6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16. Love art? So does Winter Garden. The Winter Garden Art Association is home to the SoBo Art Gallery and maintains programs that nurture creativity and art expression, as well as expand appreciation for the visual and cultural arts. This annual gala is its biggest fundraiser, with a theme this year of “Splash of Green.” Grab your tickets and come dressed in your best green to the Winter Garden Pavilion for a night of live art, dinner and mingling. Tickets start at $85 and can be bought online at bit.ly/2D8ANg4, via phone at (407) 347-7996 or in person at the gallery, 127 S. Boyd St., Winter Garden.

4. St. Jude Orlando Gala

5:30 to 11 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18. Did you know that families with children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital never receive a bill? While St. Jude focuses on saving kids it still needs to raise 75% of operation funds from donors, and here’s your chance to help. Join fellow supporters, a St. Jude patient and more at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World for an evening of cocktails, dinner, dancing and a live and silent auction — all while helping find cures for childhood cancers. Tickets start at $250 per person, or you can buy a table for 10 for $3,000. For more information and to buy tickets, visit bit.ly/2qH4VfP.

5. Innovation Montessori’s Share the Love Gala

6:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. Help local students reach for the stars and achieve their full potential at this star-studded gala, which benefits Innovation Montessori Ocoee. The Montessori school just made the move to its new Ocoee campus this week and is looking for people to help “share the love” and grow the school’s roots in the community deeper. Held at the Orlando Science Center, the gala includes dinner, drinks, an auction and guest speaker. Tickets start at $75. For more, visit innovationmontessori.com/sharethelovegalatickets.