Last Saturday, the team at TCA had the privilege of joining Coffs Harbour Support Services (CHSS) for their inaugural Boundless Book Ball, a red carpet fundraising evening held at Pacific Bay Resort in support of local people living with disability.
As one of the major sponsors of the evening, we were honoured to help bring it to life, and it exceeded every expectation.
An Evening Built Around Stories
True to its book-inspired theme, Boundless was a night dedicated to storytelling, connection and belonging. Guests walked the red carpet into an evening that included a Literary Market, a three-course dinner, guest authors, a lively silent auction and a dance floor that stayed full until the final song.
The evening was hosted by actor and television presenter Nick Hardcastle, known to Australian audiences from Home and Away and the US drama Pure Genius. Hardcastle grew up on the Coffs Coast and returned home especially to volunteer as master of ceremonies for the night.
The Moment That Stayed With Us
For us at TCA, the standout moment was watching Nick work directly with CHSS participants to help them craft their own personal stories, which were then shared and narrated live on stage during the ball. It was a powerful reminder of what nights like Boundless are really about: giving people living with disability a platform, a voice and a moment in the spotlight.
CHSS was established in 1993 by local families and community members, and continues to support, include and empower people living with disability across the Coffs Coast. CEO Joel Aitken has spoken about storytelling as a way of building belonging and breaking down barriers, and that mission was easy to see on stage, told in the participants' own words.
Proud to Sponsor, Proud to Belong
TCA has been part of the Coffs Harbour community since 1994, so supporting a local not-for-profit doing this kind of work was an easy decision. We were proud to sponsor Boundless alongside Happy Days Preschool, Pacific Bay Resort, Live Theatre Inc, Coffs Harbour Libraries, QBD Books, Judi Morison and Nathan's Tech Support, and even prouder to see the whole community turn out for such a worthwhile cause.
Congratulations to the CHSS team on a beautifully run inaugural event, and thank you for having us along for the night. We loved being part of it, and we hope to see many more nights like this one.
Photos from the evening were beautifully captured by Drew Hopper Photography.
