Saturday, March 27, 2010 was momentous night for The Will Smith Charitable Foundation.  Over 130 supporters came to the San Antonio Country Club to attend the first annual Will's Quest for Hope Gala and raised almost $70,000!

 

The evening was set with an old Africa safari theme with authentic African game mounts greeting attendees at every turn.  Guests sat down to an amazing dinner by Chef Philip Doyle while enjoying the musical stylings of Beverly Houston and Breezin'.  Another very special musical guest, Bryan Lewis, brought tears to the eyes of many in the room as he sang the song he wrote about Will, "Till I Saw Heaven (Will's Song)."  Bryan and small group of Will's friends also performed his favorite song by Dave Watson called "Africa."

 

Demond Fernandez from WOAI-TV served as master of ceremony for the night and did an amazing job of keeping the evening flowing and engaging guests.   Will's mom Susan gave a very heart-felt summation of what the foundation has been able to accomplish since it's inception less than three years ago.   David Whetstone shared his experiences helping people in Togo by taking in medical supplies and building fresh water wells to provide clean drinking water for many villages. 

 

The silent auction was huge and the live auction led by Gene Vogt was an amazing success.  The night was a milestone for the foundation raising close to $70,000 to continue to provide positive life experiences for children.  Thank you to everyone that helped to make Will's Quest for Hope:  A Journey to the Dark Continent an incredible event.