Ten years of collaboration have turned one festive evening into lasting support for Williamson County children and families.
Georgetown may look prosperous from the outside, but children here still go to school hungry, sleep in cars and move from couch to couch without knowing where they will stay next. For Rob Dyer, CEO of The Georgetown Project, those often-unseen struggles are precisely why the organization exists—and why it has spent nearly 30 years bringing the community together on behalf of its youngest residents.
“The Georgetown Project identifies needs and develops resources for children and youth,” Rob says. “We’re leaders in youth development, and that’s what the project is based on.”
Its cradle-to-career mission supports children from their earliest years through their first steps into the workforce. Bridges to Growth offers toddler play groups, parenting education, ESL classes and a newly launched GED program. For older students, The NEST provides transportation, homework help, enrichment activities and a hot, family-style dinner after school. Youth employment programs help teenagers gain practical experience and prepare for successful adulthood.
Sometimes those programs become a lifeline. Kelly Manfredini, Director of Development, recalled a student whose family had been moving between hotels and sleeping in their car. Through The Georgetown Project’s youth employment program, he secured a paid internship and used his earnings to cover the first and last months’ rent on a home for his family. He gained job experience, Kelly says, “but he also helped his family not be homeless.”
Requests for food, clothing, shelter, and other basic assistance continue to grow, making collaboration essential. The Georgetown Project brings schools, nonprofits, businesses, city representatives, and community leaders together to identify gaps, avoid duplicating services and build the resources local families need.
“We’ve all had help somewhere along the way,” Rob says. “What we’re trying to do is provide the support people need so they can be successful and grow up to be successful adults.”
Ten Years of Celebrating Together
That cooperative spirit will take center stage at the 10th annual Soirée, sponsored by SportClips and presented by The Georgetown Project, Boys & Girls Club of Georgetown, and Georgetown Family YMCA.
Over the past decade, the Soirée has raised more than $2.5 million for participating organizations—a milestone that reflects what can happen when three groups with a shared commitment to children choose to work together.
More than 400 guests attended last year, and organizers hope to welcome 500 people for this year’s Havana Nights celebration. The casual evening inside the Cutter Aviation hangar will feature casino games, auctions, raffles, cocktails, food, and live music from local favorites Slim and the Fat Tones.
While the setting is festive, the purpose is deeply practical. Proceeds help the three partner organizations provide safe after-school activities, family support, youth development programs, and assistance for children facing instability.
The Soirée also gives supporters an opportunity to see themselves as part of that shared work. Guests are not simply attending a fundraiser; they are joining a 10-year tradition of neighbors, educators, businesses, and organizations investing together in the future of Williamson County’s children.
Join the Celebration
Community members can help by purchasing tickets, becoming sponsors, donating auction items or participating in the evening’s games, raffles, and auctions. Businesses can also bring employees, host a table, or use the event to introduce others to the organizations serving local families.
Two weeks later, The Georgetown Project and the Williamson County Museum will continue the celebration with the first Evergreen Extravaganza at the Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel & Conference Center. Businesses, nonprofits and community groups will decorate trees and wreaths for an auction culminating in a festive gathering the night after Georgetown’s Lighting of the Square.
Both events offer a joyful way to become involved, but their impact reaches well beyond a single evening. Every ticket, sponsorship and auction bid strengthens a collaborative network working to ensure local children are safe, supported and given a genuine chance to thrive.
10th Annual Soirée: Havana Nights
Saturday, November 14 | 6pm • Cutter Aviation Hangar, Georgetown Airport 60 S. Terminal Drive • Click here for tickets and sponsorships.
1st Annual Evergreen Extravaganza
Saturday, November 28 | 5–8pm • Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center • 1101 Woodlawn Ave., Georgetown
Benefiting The Georgetown Project and the Williamson County Museum, Click here for tickets