Costumes for a Cause

This year, the team at Victoria’s Victory Foundation is bringing the fun environment of their Costumes for a Cause event to you. Photo by Ashley Shea Photography

When you step through the doors of a Victoria’s Victory Foundation annual Costumes for a Cause event, you are met with skeletons, pumpkins, Halloween-themed cocktails, and a conga line of joy-filled partygoers dressed in “Thriller”-worthy costumes. The annual Costumes for a Cause fundraiser may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on the spooky fun. Due to the health and safety concerns posed by the pandemic, the team at Victoria’s Victory Foundation decided to turn their in-person event into their first-ever virtual celebration that will span the entire month of October.

“We saw events and fundraisers being cancelled all around the country, but we knew that we still wanted to find a way to serve and support our community,” says Victoria’s Victory Foundation Chief Executive Officer Susan Stover. “Our virtual event will be a celebration of Victory Scholarship recipients, sponsors and costume contest winners, and we will also be bringing our in-person party environment online with contests, auction items and a create-your-own-costume-at-home challenge.”

Victoria’s Victory Foundation was founded by Victoria Arlen as a way to gather a community of caregivers, physical therapists and mobility assistance programs that make it possible for others to live in hope of healing and recovery – a mission that is made possible by events like Costumes for a Cause. “Not only is this event a way for us to virtually bring our community together, but more importantly, it is how we raise funds to support our Victory Scholarship Program every year,” says Stover.

Victoria’s Victory Foundation Founder Victoria Arlen at last year’s Costume for a Cause. Photo by Ashley Shea Photography

Through the Victory Scholarship Program, the team at Victoria’s Victory is able to offer assistance in the form of scholarships to provide for wheelchairs, mobility equipment, home and vehicle adaptions, personal nursing care hours, medical supplies and training and recovery sessions, and since its inception, it has distributed more than $347,000 to those in need of mobility assistance. The program gives the gift of hope, and allows those with mobility challenges to have access to the resources they need to live more independent lives.

“One of our favorite parts of the event is being able to play a video that spotlights the success of scholarship recipients from that year,” says Stover. “It is a night filled with fun, yes, but it is also a night to give people the opportunity to play a role in someone else’s story of hope.”

Throughout October, virtual guests will have the opportunity to learn how to make their own Halloween-themed cocktail, participate in costume contests and more. There will also be a few surprises throughout the month and a virtual visit from founder Victoria Arlen on both her and the foundation’s social media channels.

Whether you’re donating while sipping a boo-zy cocktail or creating a costume with your friends, being able to support those with disabilities and give them the opportunity to experience the miracle of movement and the healing power of hope is all that matters.

“This is a new, fun way to support our community,” says Stover. “We are excited to come together and not only celebrate our favorite holidays as a team, but also celebrate being able to see the impossible continue to be made possible in the lives of our scholarship recipients in the months to come.”

To learn more about Victoria’s Victory Foundation and the ways that you can get involved, visit the website here. To make a donation, click here. If you are a company that wants to be a part of Costumes for a Cause, contact Susan Stover at (617) 918-7979 to learn more about virtual sponsorship packages.