Nearly 600 guests descended upon the Tampa Marriott Water Street to enjoy the 20th annual Ronald McDonald House Storybook Ball in late May. This fairytale-inspired ball has become one of the most popular galas in Tampa Bay over the past two decades. The event raised a record-setting $573,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay, an organization that helps provide housing for families while their children face challenging medical needs at local hospitals. Attendees, including Blake and Tate Casper, pledged a total of $83,000 to the charity, another new record. The evening’s activities included games like cornhole and wine toss, as Busch Gardens stilt-walkers roamed the room. Attendees bid on live auction items like a VIP experience at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 with Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile, Super Bowl tickets, a whiskey and liquor wagon created with bottles from the RMHC Board of Trustees and more. The Annual Award of Excellence was presented to FKQ Advertising & Marketing in recognition of the Clearwater agency’s longtime creative work on behalf of the charity.
