Protecting what’s precious for thirty years

Saturday, September 12th, 2026
6PM to 9PM

Tresca on 8th
724 Commerce St, Lynchburg, VA 24504

Since 1996, Rush Homes has provided safe, affordable, and accessible housing for individuals and families across our community. For three decades, we’ve worked to ensure that everyone has a place to call home.

Join us as we commemorate 30 years of service, celebrate the lives transformed through housing, and recognize the community of supporters who make our mission possible.

Purchase Tickets

Food by Jason Arbusto

We're delighted to partner with Chef Jason Arbusto for an unforgettable dining experience at our 30th Anniversary Gala. Inspired by this year's theme, The Pearl, guests will enjoy a thoughtfully crafted menu featuring exceptional cuisine, fellowship, and celebration throughout the evening.

Live Auction & Paddle Raise

Our Live Auction and Paddle Raise offer guests an opportunity to make a lasting impact while celebrating Rush Homes' mission. Through generous support and spirited participation, attendees will help create more opportunities for affordable, accessible housing and greater independence for individuals with disabilities in our community.

Music by The Whiskey Shakes

Known for their authentic sound, high-energy performances, and ability to bring people together through great music, The Whiskey Shakes create an atmosphere that is both engaging and unforgettable. We are thrilled to have them provide the soundtrack for our 30th Anniversary Gala and help make this celebration a truly memorable occasion.

Keynote Speaker: Emily Perl Kingsley

We are honored to welcome Emily Perl Kingsley as our keynote speaker and grateful for the opportunity to learn from her extraordinary life, advocacy, and impact. Her message of inclusion, dignity, and opportunity reflects the values at the heart of Rush Homes, and we are thrilled to have her join us as we celebrate this special milestone.

Why the Pearl?

The pearl is the traditional symbol of a 30th anniversary, making it the perfect way to celebrate 30 years of Rush Homes. A pearl begins as a tiny grain of sand, protected and nurtured within an oyster. Over time, that care transforms something ordinary into something extraordinary.

At Rush Homes, we believe safe, affordable, and accessible housing does the same. A stable home provides the security people need to grow, pursue their goals, live independently, and build lives filled with dignity and hope. For 30 years, we've been protecting what matters most and creating the conditions where our neighbors can thrive. Like a pearl, the most beautiful transformations begin with care, protection, and a place to call home.

SHELTER

Housing stability increases independence, well-being, economic activity, community involvement, personal financial security, and hope.

FORM

Similar to how an oyster nurtures a pearl, Rush Homes nurtures individuals with low-income or disabilities by providing housing stability.

TREASURE

For our 30th anniversary, we want to celebrate the nurturing impact that Rush Homes has formed while protecting the precious people of our community.

Our Keynote Speaker: Emily Perl Kingsley

Rush Homes is honored to welcome Emmy Award-winning writer and advocate Emily Perl Kingsley as the keynote speaker for our 30th Anniversary Gala.

For decades, Emily has touched millions of lives through her groundbreaking work in television and her powerful advocacy for people with disabilities. Best known for her award-winning writing for Sesame Street, she helped shape one of the most influential educational programs in history, bringing messages of inclusion, acceptance, and human dignity to generations of children and families around the world.

Emily's voice became even more impactful through her widely celebrated essay, Welcome to Holland, which forever changed the conversation about raising a child with a disability and has offered comfort, understanding, and hope to countless families.

Her life's work reflects the very values that have guided Rush Homes for 30 years: the belief that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and the chance to live as independently as possible. As we celebrate three decades of developing and sustaining affordable, accessible homes for people with disabilities and limited incomes, Emily's message reminds us why this work matters not only for those who call Rush Homes home, but for the strength, compassion, and well-being of our entire community.

This is a rare opportunity to hear from one of the nation's most respected champions for inclusion, independence, and human potential. Join us for an unforgettable evening as Emily Perl Kingsley shares her insights, her humor, and her extraordinary story.

A Culinary Experience Inspired by The Pearl

Inspired by this year's theme, The Pearl, guests will enjoy an evening of exceptional cuisine and fellowship.

Cocktail Reception
Fresh Oyster Bar, Passed Baked Oysters, Chef-Selected Hors d'Oeuvres, and Beer, Wine, Signature Cocktail, and Non-Alcoholic Beverages.

Featured Signature Cocktail: The Pearl
A refreshing blend of vodka, elderflower liqueur, sparkling wine, and citrus, finished with a shimmering pearl garnish.

Dinner
Plated Caesar Salad followed by family-style entrées including Braised Lamb Tagine, Mediterranean Salmon, and a Chef-Created Vegetarian Selection, accompanied by wine service.

Dessert Reception
An assortment of chef-crafted miniature desserts passed throughout the ballroom.

Additional menu details will be announced as they are finalized.

PURCHASE TICKETS

Our Sponsors

The Pearl

Haven Builder

Safe Harbor

Grain Of Hope

Interested in sponsoring this event?

30 Years, 30 Stories

Behind every milestone is a story.
Over the past three decades, lives have been changed because safe, stable housing became possible. These are the voices that define our work.

Rachel

After a career at the Central Virginia Training Center that spanned more than four decades, Rachel came to Rush Homes needing an accessible apartment as she was a wheelchair user. What we remember most vividly about her was the sight of her leaping from her chair on one leg to hug the property manager upon learning she was getting a Rush Home.
Sandy

As a child, Sandy and her sister were sent to live in an orphanage where they remained for a number of years. Upon returning home, Sandy became the caregiver for her family and began pursuing a career in nursing. Just after receiving word that she’d been awarded a scholarship, Sandy was hurt while working with a patient and became a wheelchair user. Although unable to pursue her studies, Sandy’s care-taking nature left an impression on many, including the Rush Homes family.
James

A graduate of St. Paul College, James came to Rush Homes after living in a boarding house for a period of time. He had learned to live with the loss of his eyesight, his loss unbeknownst to everyone. Our Residential Support Coordinator helped him connect with the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired to receive books on tape. James said while listening to those books he knew he was sitting on his sofa, but in his mind he was having adventures all over the world!
William

William dove in a pool at his high-school graduation party and from that point forward has been a quadriplegic. His very supportive family has been ever-present, but every young man yearns for independence. For 24 years he hadn’t felt the running water of a shower because he couldn’t get into the bathroom. When William saw his Rush Home for the first time he said “I can take a shower…God, I can take a shower.”
Liz

Liz, a petite woman and animal lover, moved to her Rush Home from a home which had steps to the front door and back door. Our property manager asked Liz, a wheelchair user, if she’d ever thought about how she’d get out of her home in case of an emergency. Her plan was to get her pets out first, and then she would throw herself down the back stairs because there were fewer of them than in the front. In her accessible Rush Home, Liz no longer had to make that decision.

Help Us Protect What’s Precious for the Next 30 Years

While we celebrate our history, our work is far from finished. The need for safe, accessible housing continues to grow — and with your support, we can ensure that more individuals and families find stability in the years ahead.

Give

Honor 30 years with a gift of $30, $300, or $3,000 to help protect what’s precious for the next generation.