On March 23 WMCAT held iBall 2023, an evening to celebrate and advance our collective vision for equitable access to opportunity. We were so glad to reconvene our friends, supporters, and partners in the work, making known the power of community action in achieving our shared goals.
We danced to the music of Bedrock The Foundation, engaged with WMCAT activities, and celebrated three incredible honorees who embody imagination, innovation, and inspiration — and are partners in WMCAT’s work.
Thank you to Presenting Sponsor Steelcase Inc.
The WMCAT Award for Imagination will be presented to The Diatribe in recognition of their work to amplify youth voice, challenge dominant narratives, and activate community spaces through the arts. They are empowering students, artists, and neighborhoods by leveraging poetry and mural art as mediums for engaging social issues, shifting power, and building community leadership to create change.
The WMCAT Award for Innovation will be presented to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for their leadership in bringing an equity lens to the work and discourse of the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, introducing a new framework for how we think about community change. They are making opportunity a reality through meaningful funding partnerships that center lived experience, prioritize community-led solutions, and advance a future in which all can thrive.
Award sponsored by Acrisure.
The WMCAT Award for Inspiration will be presented to WMCAT alumna Chanae Gilbert in honor of the late Jim Welch, WMCAT’s founding board chair. A patient care technician and trainer at Meijer, Chanae began her career in healthcare after graduating from WMCAT’s Adult Career Training Program in 2009. She now plays a key role in WMCAT’s employer partnership with Meijer, mentoring pharmacy technician students during the program and retail externship. Chanae is sharing in her own success by investing in the career pathways of more than a decade of WMCAT students.
Award sponsored by Meijer.
Relive iBall with us through photos of the night. You can view all the photos we took on Facebook and you can see even more coverage by ABC 4 on their website.
WMCAT Award for Inspiration Sponsor
WMCAT Award for Innovation Sponsor
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Ferris State University and Kendall College of Art and Design
Grand Rapids Community College
Take His Hand Foundation
