2025 Independence First Empower Gala RECAP
THANK YOU to all our attendees, donors, and sponsors!
What a night! It feels like the dust is still settling here at Independence First after the 2025 Empower Gala at The Garage @ the Harley-Davidson Museum. Nearly 200 of you attended and helped us raise funds to continue empowering people with disabilities to live independently in the community. We had a lot of fun, and we hope you did, too.
Scroll down to find our photo gallery and find yourself!
We are especially grateful to our sponsors. We wouldn’t have been able to put on this fundraising event without their support. Please consider our generous sponsors when you need a product or service. Thank you to Marsh McLennan Agency, Independent Care Health Plan (iCare), Wintrust Commercial Banking, Lime, iHeart Media, We Energies Foundation, Midwest Institutional Trust Services, Capital First Trust, R&R Insurance, Maker LLC, Wegner CPAs, Steren-Owned McDonald’s Restaurants, United Healthcare, PNC, Fifth Third Bank, Wispact Foundation, Mutual of America, and Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation.
Speaker Bjorn Shuster stands at a Harley-Davidson podium in front of a PowerPoint presentation with an illustration of a motorcycle
Everyone looked fabulous and really leaned into the theme of the night. Tying in the theme as well was our speaker Bjorn Shuster, Design Director of Harley-Davidson. We enjoyed Bjorn’s creative presentation, and his artistic contribution to our table designs.
CFO Wendy Huot, CEO/President Marci Boucher, and auctioneer Dan Pronley at the podium
Independence First’s CEO and President Marci Boucher was our entertaining emcee for the night joined by our CFO Wendy Huot. They introduced the crowd to the Independence First mission and screened a video showing the story of one of our consumers who was able to move out of an institution and back into the community.
Auctioneer Dan Pronley made the live auction quite lively, and the generously donated and bid-on auction items and fund-a-need raised capital to help us expand our fleet to reach even more people in the community.
Picture of the crowd with a bidder holding up their bidder number during the live auction
Other fundraising activities included a 50/50 raffle, wine pull, and an exciting array of silent auction items that left many guests with their arms full at the end of the night.
Independence First employee Eric Edwards smiles behind a table with 50/50 raffle and wine pull signs
The photobooth featured a real Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a large selection of props that helped to create fun and lasting memories of the night.
Photobooth setup with a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a tinsel wall behind it
DJ Darkside kept the fun going with plenty of favorites and a $5 donation for requests. Those who stuck around enjoyed a dance party in support of Independence First.
If you weren’t able to join us this time, it’s not too late to support our mission and help us raise funds to expand our fleet of outreach vehicles. Donate securely online anytime at independencefirst.org/donate.
See all the photos from the 2025 Empower Gala below: