On Saturday, February 23, 2019 nearly 550 attendees – builders, designers, community leaders, and local celebrities – gathered with a common goal of building a better Baltimore through Project JumpStart, the region’s premiere workforce development.
This year’s celebrations were focused on commemorating the ‘Faces of Project JumpStart’ – the graduates, instructors, and employers, who together have forged the best program of its kind in the region. Four graduates took the stage and captivated the crowd with stories of their personal journeys.
The evening’s emcee, Clarence Mitchell IV, better known to WBAL listeners as C4, kept the evening moving smoothly and presided over a new feature of the event, we called ‘Crowdfunding.’ The ‘Crowdfunding’ part of the program, where attendees were able to donate directly to buy graduates steel-toed boots, down-payment on cars, transportation passes, and trade-specific tools, raised more than $25,000 in less than 10 minutes! The entire event raised much, much more (but we’re sorting it all out — update forthcoming!).
Attendees took a culinary tour of local, national and international cuisine and enjoyed a night of dancing and networking.
Our deepest appreciation for the support of our generous sponsors, including The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Skillforce, Inc., Southway Builders, Oak Contracting, and Merritt Construction Services, plus many, many others.