The Village Ball Fundraiser: Leaving A Legacy

Step into an evening of elegance, culture, and purpose at The Village Ball—a powerful community celebration dedicated to building something greater for generations to come.

This special fundraising event supports the development of a Black Community Cultural Center and Museum Complex in Akron, Ohio, a transformative $11.5 million, three-phase initiative designed to uplift, preserve, and empower the Sherbondy Hill and Lane Field communities.

More than a building, the Legacy Building Project is a vision for the future.

This 25,000-square-foot center will serve as a cultural anchor—featuring a museum, performance and auditorium space, exhibition galleries, classrooms, and meeting spaces—while also acting as a hub for economic growth, education, and opportunity. The space will include a business incubator, technology and trade center, café/bookstore, and community garden and marketplace, creating pathways for entrepreneurship, workforce development, and sustainable innovation.

✨ Your presence helps bring this vision to life.

The Village Ball is where purpose meets celebration. Guests will enjoy:

• Delicious food and vibrant flavors
• Live DJ and dancing
• Inspiring entertainment
• Community awards and recognition of distinguished honorees
• A beautiful atmosphere centered on culture, connection, and legacy

Your attendance directly supports:

• Job creation and workforce development
• Small business growth and entrepreneurship
• Youth and community programming
• Revitalization of historically underserved neighborhoods
• Sustainable and innovative community infrastructure

Together, we are investing in a space that will educate, employ, celebrate, and empower our community for generations. With a goal of $30,000 for this fundraiser a little over triple of what was raised last year!

It takes a village to build a legacy and meet our goal.

Come dressed to impress, ready to celebrate, connect, and contribute to a vision rooted in culture, resilience, and progress.

Be a part of repairing history with a legacy for generations to come.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Akron Rites of Passage Institute