A week ago, I was invited to attend the Ronald McDonald of Central Iowa Fall Gala on behalf of Businessolver. As a sponsor of the event, Businessolver had a table and decided to recognize the employees who had volunteered the most hours in the past year with an invitation to this annual event.

The theme of the gala was the Eighties, and attendees were encouraged to dress in that decade’s attire. In the formal setting of the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center Ballroom under the soundtrack of a band playing Eighties pop and rock songs, there were the bright neon colors and big hairstyles (including some wigs) that have come to define that decade. I saw someone wearing a replica of the red leather jacket that Michael Jackson wore in the “Thriller” music video, someone dressed as Marty McFly from the movie Back to the Future, and even a young couple dressed as Elliott and Gertie, the young children from the movie E.T. Being a child of the Nineties, I guess I’ll just have to accept that this is what the Eighties looked and sounded like that.

But most of all, what I saw that night was a diverse group of individuals – some representing local companies I hadn’t heard of yet, some representing the offices of well-known international corporations, and some attending as individuals – coming together on a Saturday night to support a non-profit organization which works all year long to support local families in their time of need. I saw the many products and services that businesses and groups donated to the silent auction to help raise money for this organization and the many volunteers who donated their time to make this event possible. It was inspiring to see so many men, women, and children doing whatever they could to improve the community around them.

While I didn’t win any of the silent auction items I bid on, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to attend the gala and thankful to work for a company like Businessolver which not only sponsors local organizations’ events throughout the year but also encourages its employees to give back to the community.