Making Waves: We Planned the Gala. Our Community Wrote the Story
- Wendy Steel
- Aug 5
- 4 min read
Picture this for a moment.
A spontaneous pianist.
An artist living with Parkinson's dancing alongside his neurologist.
Young adults dancing with pure abandon.
None of these moments appeared on our timeline.
They simply happened.
And, as it turns out, those were the moments that made the biggest waves.
Our theme this year was bioluminescence. We imagined glowing waves, shimmering oceans, and an evening inspired by one of nature's quietest wonders. What I didn't realize was that the brightest light wouldn't come from our décor. It would come from our community.As I looked around Wave Street Studios, I realized I wasn't looking at a successful fundraiser. I was looking at a community.
After more than three decades in corporate marketing, I've attended more fundraising events than I can count. This one felt different. People weren't networking. They weren't making polite conversation. They were genuinely connecting. Somewhere between dinner and the dance floor, strangers became friends, physicians became advocates, parents found hope, and young adults realized they weren't alone. That's when I realized we'd built something much bigger than a gala. We had strengthened a community.For one evening, neurologists, artists, sponsors, parents, volunteers, board members, and young adults simply belonged.
The Moments We Could Never Have Planned
One of my favorite moments happened before our guests even arrived. A young man wandered in during setup and began playing the Yamaha piano. Being the weirdo that I am, I introduced myself. He was a former college football player studying Russian at the Defense Language Institute. On a whim I asked if he'd return later to play between the band's sets.'I like to dress up, and I like to be spontaneous,' he replied.He came back in a suit that evening and filled the room with beautiful music. It was the first reminder that the best parts of the night couldn't have been planned.
Every Person Had a Story
As the evening unfolded, I realized every conversation, every auction item, and every person carried a story.
The Honorable Tony Coelho shared a heartfelt message reminding young adults that epilepsy should never define who they become. And - who knew - his beloved Grandfather lived on Foam Street, one block up from the Gala!
Greg Dunn donated his Neuro Art
Dr. Ahadi donated a treasured table cover from Iran
Artists with Epilepsy: Noëmi Manser, George Inness were featured in our silent auction
Robbie Holt an artist living with Parkinsons donated a bronze Monterey Pine sculpture
Michael King - donated his book "Be There When I Return" and a consult
Our YAWE team donated their art
And Teresa read a heartfelt poem about living with Epilepsy
Hope Has a Way of Finding Us
What I'll remember most about Robbie wasn't his sculpture. It was watching him smile and dance anyway. Sometimes our bodies place limits on us. Our spirit has other plans.Another image has stayed with me: a young man living with epilepsy winning Michael King's signed memoir. He wasn't simply buying a book. He was choosing hope from someone who had already walked the road ahead. As Austin's mom, another moment filled my heart. One of our mothers purchased my painting because YAWE had changed her daughter's life. There really aren't words for moments like that.
“The brightest light that evening didn't come from our décor. It came from our community.”
The Things You Never See
Behind the scenes, our photographer asked thoughtful questions about seizure safety. The band wanted to understand whether flashing lights could be a concern. Nobody asked because they had to. They asked because they cared. Awareness isn't built through statistics alone. It's built one conversation at a time.
What Success Really Looks Like
People sometimes ask me what success looks like. Yes, every dollar raised matters because it allows us to serve more young adults with epilepsy. But success also looks like someone who may have missed out on prom finally dancing the night away. It looks like strangers becoming friends. It looks like people showing up for one another.
This Is How We Make Waves
As I reflected on the evening, I realized our theme had quietly become our lesson. Bioluminescence is one of nature's quietest wonders. Countless tiny points of light come together to create something breathtaking. Individually they're easy to miss. Together they illuminate the darkness. Looking around the room that night, I realized we hadn't simply decorated for bioluminescence. We had become it. Every conversation. Every volunteer. Every physician. Every sponsor. Every parent. Every young adult. Every act of generosity became another point of light.Together, we illuminated something much bigger than a ballroom. We illuminated what belonging can look like.That's what belonging looks like.That's what Young Adults with Epilepsy is building.That's how we make waves. One light. One person. One act of kindness at a time.
A heartfelt thank you
Thank you to: Sk Life Science, UCB and Jazz Pharma for their sponsorship. And a big thank you to Matsui Nursery for such a beautiful, generous donations of their spectacular orchids!
More photos here: https://www.youngadultswithepilepsy.org/yawe-gala-2026
Join Us
If this evening reminded me of anything, it's that community isn't built in a single night. It's built one conversation, one gathering, and one act of kindness at a time. That's why I hope you'll join us for our Walk 4 Epilepsy on September 19 at Lover's Point. Whether you walk, volunteer, or simply stop by to learn more, we'd love to welcome you. Thank you for being part of our story.
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