BIO Girls Hosts Sixth Annual Gala Presented by Crown Jewels
Inward and Upward
BIO Girls 6th Annual Gala took place on October 10th, 2024. It was an exciting evening filled with countless stories of how BIO Girls is positively impacting adolescent girls across the midwest.
An evening to celebrate the community that pours into our program while fueling our mission of increasing self-esteem in adolescent girls.
A gigantic thank you to Crown Jewels for being our premiere sponsor for the sixth consecutive year!
Crown Jewels was established in 1962 by Al Lundeen. John and Sue Stephens, Al's son-in-law and daughter, purchased the business in 1978. Greg Stephens, John and Sue’s son, became the owner of Crown Jewels in 2006.
Crown Jewels is proud to be a third-generation, local, family-owned business.
Specializing in bridal, custom, and fine jewelry you can stop by Crown Jewels located at 4487 Calico Dr. South Suite A Fargo, ND 58104, or visit their website at crownjewelsfargo.com.
Crown Jewels store owners, Greg and Jessica Stephens, and their three daughters are long-time supporters of the BIO Girls mission.
Thank you, Greg and Jessica, for your continued generosity.
Thank You, Event Sponsors
In addition to Crown Jewels, we are so thankful to these businesses for supporting our mission as event sponsors.
Dakota Supply Group
Gateway Chevrolet and Your Heartland Chevy Dealers Balance Tax and Accounting
Border States
WE Ortho
Level 8 Steam Cleaning & Restoration
Heather's Housekeeping
Sioux Surgical
RDO
First International Bank & Trust
Sanford Health
Light Consulting
Mobile Pro
Threefold
Inforum
Elizabeth Eden Photography
Love Always Floral
On to the evening!
Greeted by our friendly volunteers, staff and a glass of champagne, our guests arrived, dressed to the nines! Weaving through registration, guests strolled through visuals of our very own BIO Girls and helped us build our show with an interactive survey.
After registration, guests entered the main space of the Butler Arena through the most beautiful floral tunnel designed by our friends at Love Always Floral. It was the perfect main entrance to showcase our custom BIO Girls banners by Sign Badgers perfectly placed from the ceiling. Mobile Pro outdid themselves again this year, transforming the space and setting the mood with perfect lighting.
Social hour continued with drinks, games, and time to connect with friends, new and old. Pix Squad and White House Co provided two unique photobooth options for guests. Next up, dinner!
BIO Girls Site Director from Bismarck, ND, Michelle Hintz, opened in a beautiful prayer. Guests were treated to a plated dinner from the Twisted Spork and desserts from a group of generous sweet enthusiasts. After some time for conversation, our Board Chair, Sarah Nupdal, took the stage to show our gratitude to those who made the evening possible.
And then, showtime!
Guests met our lively emcee and auctioneer, Miss Shannan Paul who brought the energy all evening! To start, the famous heads or tails game - BIO Girls style. Guests utilized their customized paddles purchased at the door to play Heads or Wings utilizing our logo. Two roaring rounds with two guests each walking away with a $500 Scheels Gift Card. Shout out to our Board Member & Gala Committee Chair, Shelley Szudera for flipping the coin onstage with Miss Shannan!
Miss Shannan opened the evening sharing the dire state of mental health in our girls today, a stark difference to when she was growing up. This was illustrated through powerful statistics and a dramatic video produced by our talented friends at Threefold.
Next, three BIO Girls volunteer site directors took the stage to share how BIO Girls increases self-esteem with three proven facets - Challenge, Character and Connection.
Challenge: BIO Girls encourages girls to set a goal, hold themselves accountable, honor progress, and experience success... set by their standards. The confidence gained from facing a challenge head on is a tool that they will carry on through their adolescence and beyond.
Character: BIO Girls is helping girls quiet their inner critic, by building their character. Lessons on empathy, kindness and respect help girls shift from a 'me' to a 'you' focus. Girls practice walking in each other's shoes, building each other up and living out the golden rule.
Connection: BIO Girls is a judgment-free, kindness first, go-getter environment which enables girls to build friendships, become empathetic listeners and flourish as strong communicators. BIO Girls is equipping girls to create and foster healthy connections in their lives. And helping girls know, they are not alone.
Megan Doty, Kari Carlson and Nicole Cook shared first-hand experiences from their local sites on how BIO Girls is making a difference in the lives of the girls they serve. Guests saw first-hand transformations of three BIO Girls, Ellen, Chloe and Kynlee, through video features by Redfield Media.
After seeing the substantial impact of our mission, it was time for guests to make an impact through our Live Auction! A Rainbow Play Systems Playground, a Suite Night at the Ralph Englestad Arena and three amazing trips were auctioned off.
But the real star of the live auction was our sweet BIO Girl, Reese, who made two custom art pieces - Northern Lights and Galaxy. Reese took the stage alongside Miss Shannan to share her inspiration for the pieces and a desire to help by giving back to other BIO Girls. There wasn’t a dry-eye in the house as these priceless art pieces were sold to two extremely generous donors.
Next up, Executive Director and CEO, Missy Heilman took the stage to illustrate the importance of the ‘finish line’.
“For BIO Girls participants, the finish line represents something much deeper. For 3,000 girls each year, this finish line is not just an endpoint; it’s a powerful beginning. The finish line unlocks potential, belief, and confidence.”
Missy welcomed BIO Girls Rilynn and Raegen to the stage to share their experiences with the program further illustrating the power of our proven self-esteem increasing programming.
“Our program is proven to increase self-esteem to prevent mental health issues, but it also serves as an intervention. Those with the lowest self-esteem see the most significant improvements during their time in BIO Girls.
We understand that BIO Girls isn’t the only solution, but we are the only preventative mental program for girls in the state of ND. We play an integral role in addressing the mental health crisis facing all girls. Together, we’re building a community that fosters resilience, strength, and hope.”
Singer songwriter, Allison Eide, took the stage for an emotional performance of her original song ‘Love Who I am’. A beautiful and meaningful transition as Miss Shannan Paul returned to the stage for Fund a Girl where guests provided financial support towards the BIO Girls Mission.
BIO Girls team members weaved through the many tables graciously collecting appeal cards with hugs and hearts of gratitude.
And with that, the evening concluded! A gigantic thank you to everyone who helped in making this year’s gala a success! Your generosity will continue to propel our mission forward, providing the BIO Girls experience to 3,000 girls annually.
