Virginia Beach, VA, August, 2009

Press Contact:
Liz McNulty
Chartway Federal Credit Union
757-552-1000 x43699
cemcnulty@chartway.com

4th Annual Diamonds in teh Sky Gala
Wed., Sept. 2, 2009, Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront
6-10 pm; Tickets from $350 per person

Who needs Hollywood when stars make Virginia Beach their playground for a memorable black-tie affair? Musical guest Starship with Mickey Thomas and celebrity emcee Teri Polo of the Meet the Parents movie series fame lend their star power to the 4th Annual Diamonds in the Sky Gala hosted by the We Promise Foundation with the intent of attracting attention and support for the charity’s ongoing work.

The 4th Annual Diamonds in the Sky Gala will be held at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel on Wednesday, September 2, 2009, featuring silent and live auctions of celebrity memorabilia, athletic event and concert tickets, exotic vacation packages and much more. Event proceeds are used to help put smiles on the faces of children in Hampton Roads and across the country facing tremendous adversity as a result of life threatening illness or severe hardship.

Many other stars unable to make stage appearances endorse the We Promise Foundation’s efforts with donations to the Gala’s silent and live auctions. From signed posters and books to personal items and priceless collectibles, guests can browse and bid on items from celebrity donors such as Madonna, Richard Petty, Cheryl Tiegs, Derek Jeter, James Earl Jones, Mario Andretti, and Leonardo DiCaprio just to name a few.

The Gala is complemented by the 11th Annual Charity Golf Classic played at the Signature at West Neck Golf Course on Thursday, September 3, 2009. The afternoon event is a sponsor/patron-only event that toasts more than 20 benefiting children who join the players on the course. For golf and gala tickets or more information, contact Jill Haag at 757-233-7111 or jill@wepromisefoundation.com.

Best known for her role of Pamela Martha Byrnes in the Meet the Parents franchise, Teri Polo started out as a gifted ballet student. At the tender age of five, she began ballet classes and later enrolled in New York's School of American Ballet as a teenager. But it was a modeling contest win that prompted her to move to New York City to pursue an acting career. Since then, Polo has appeared on many TV shows including The Practice, Felicity, Chicago Hope, Sports Night, Numb3rs and Frasier, and held a long-running role on The West Wing as Helen Santos, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits). Currently, Polo stars in the 2009 television pilot for Washington Field. The show is about the National Capital Response Squad, a unit of the FBI composed of elite experts in different areas who travel around the world, responding to events that concern American interest. Polo also is set to begin filming the third installation of Meet the Parents this fall.

Now celebrating his 30th anniversary with Starship, lead vocalist Mickey Thomas is one of rock music’s most
recognizable stars. Every single album produced in the 80s and 90s went gold, platinum or multi-platinum, with top songs including “We Built This City,” “No Way Out,” “Nothing Gonna Stop Us Now,” “Sara” and “Find Your Way Back.” Major League Baseball even adopted their hit “It’s Not Over Till It’s Over” as the league’s 1987 theme song. Thomas and the band have remained popular into the 21st century and released a Top 40 single “Get Out Again” earlier this year. Complementing Thomas’ stellar vocals, Starship also includes Stephanie Calvert (vocals), Mark Abrahamian (lead guitar, vocals), Jeff Adams (bass, vocals), Phil Bennett (keyboards, vocals) and Darrell “Pelican” Verdusco (drums, vocals).

With more than 441 wishes funded for Hampton Roads children through Make-A-Wish and grants for countless other programs across the country funded since 1999, the We Promise Foundation is making a difference in the community by putting smiles on the faces of children facing tremendous hardship. Last year’s annual Gala and Golf Classic raised a combined $385,000 for the We Promise Foundation which benefited charities including Make-A-Wish Foundation, Families of Autistic Children in Tidewater, St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children and others.

The continued success of these events is due, in large part, to the generous commitment and sponsorship of Fidelity National Information Services, Summit Information Systems, VISA USA, GTI Systems, Inc., Harland-Clarke, Pender & Coward, WAVY-TV 10, Hampton Roads Magazine, Professional Printing Center, Summs Skip & Collection, Americomm Direct Marketing and GVA Advantis Construction. A variety of sponsorship packages still are available for the Diamonds in the Sky Gala and Annual Golf Classic. For additional information, please contact Jill Haag at 757-233-7111 or jill@wepromisefoundation.com.

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About the We Promise Foundation®
As the charitable arm of Chartway Federal Credit Union, the We Promise Foundation® is dedicated to making dreams come true for children struggling with degenerative, life-threatening, debilitating or chronic illnesses, or those facing tremendous hardship. The foundation provides funding within the communities the credit union serves with a single goal: to put smiles on a child’s face by making their dreams come true. The foundation was launched in 2005 based on the enduring success of Chartway’s previous charitable events. Since 1999, Chartway and its We Promise Foundation have raised more than $2M in support of numerous Make-A-Wish Foundation chapters, St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children, Families of Autistic Children in Tidewater and other Hampton Roads-area charitable groups. For more information, click on www.WePromiseFoundation.com.

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Photography: Hi-resolution digital images of Teri Polo and Starship with Mickey Thomas are available upon request to Robin Magrisi 757-287-0314.

 

Chartway Federal Credit Union, chartered in 1959, is a not-for-profit financial institution headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., with assets of more than $1.1 billion. Founded on the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People,” Chartway’s fundamental goal continues to be to enhance the lives and financial stability of close to 155,000 members. The organization provides services in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia. Chartway offers financial services including checking and savings accounts, loans, credit cards, online banking, insurance and investment counseling to members. For more information, visit www.chartway.com.