Independence Soiree

Independence Soiree

Friday, September 25, 2020

A Virtual Event where you can celebrate from the comfort of your home.

The Independence Soiree* will be a spectacular, virtual fundraising event that takes everything you love about Independence National Historical Park and streams it to you at your home.

During the Soirée, join Independence Historical Trust and Independence Visitor Center Corporation as we provide an overview of all things we love about Philadelphia.

Proceeds from this fundraising event will support the operations of Independence Historical Trust and Independence Visitor Center Corporation, two organizations dedicated to welcoming visitors to the City of Philadelphia and providing a world class experience.

Independence Soirée 2020 Theme

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment. We will commemorate this momentous event by recognizing and celebrating the women who marched, protested and voted  to try to make our country a better nation. This is the year to celebrate all women.

We hope you will join us virtually this September!

*Soirée is defined as an evening party or gathering, typically in a private house, for conversation or music. While we won’t be gathering at Independence Hall like in years past, we want everyone to have a fun, festive time at home.

Support the Soiree

Stars and Stripes Sponsor – $25,000

Company recognized outside of the event by:

• • Company logo prominently placed on invitations and other promotional materials for event*
  • Company name included in all press materials including media kits, releases and alerts
  • Prominent logo placement on Independence Historical Trust’s and Independence Visitor Center Corporation’s website with a hyper-link for one year
  • Company ad featured in the Independence Historical Trust’s annual newsletter  
  • Recognition of sponsorship in the Independence Visitor Center building

Company recognized at the event by:

• • Logo prominently displayed during event 
  • Company logo in the event program book
  • Prominent full two-page spread, full color advertisement in the event program book
  • Opportunity to record video message to be shown during event

Event Participation:

• • Link to event to be shared with colleagues

Purple Sponsor- $10,000

Company recognized outside of the event by:

• • Company logo listed on invitation and other promotional materials*
  • Company name included in all press materials including media kits, releases and alerts
  • Company logo placed on the Independence Historical Trust’s and Independence Visitor Center Corporation’s website
  • Company ad featured in the Independence Historical Trust’s annual newsletter
  • Recognition of sponsorship in the Independence Visitor Center building

Company recognized at the event by:

• • Logo displayed during virtual event 
  • Company logo in the event program book
  • Full page, full color ad in event program book

Event Participation:

• • Link to event to be shared with colleagues

Gold Sponsor- $5,000

Company recognized before the event by:

• • Company name listed on invitation and other promotional materials
  • Company listed on the Independence Historical Trust’s and Independence Visitor Center Corporation’s website
  • Company ad featured in the Independence Historical Trust’s annual newsletter

Company recognized at the event by:

• • Logo displayed during virtual event 
  • Company logo in the event program book 
  • Half-page, full color ad

Event Participation:

• • Link to event to be shared with colleagues

White Sponsor – $2,500

Company recognized before the event by:

• • Company name listed on invitation and other promotional materials
  • Company listed on the Independence Historical Trust’s and Independence Visitor Center Corporation’s website
  • Company name listed in the Independence Historical Trust’s annual newsletter

Company recognized at the event by:

• • Logo displayed during virtual event 
  • Company name in the event program book
  • Quarter-page, full color ad

Event Participation: 

• • Link to event to be shared with colleagues

** Logos must be sent to Independence Historical Trust by Friday, August 21 to be included in the invitation.

Patron – $1,000

Benefactor – $500

Your generosity to the Independence Soirée will support the activities of the Independence Historical Trust and the Independence Visitor Center Corporation. Activities such as:

• • Providing free educational walking tours to park visitors
  • Hosting educational programs and events that promote 
  • the national park and highlight the national treasures in Philadelphia 
  • Supporting the services provide by IVCC at the Visitor Center as a free public use venue for information and amenities for all visiting the Philadelphia region

Supporters will be recognized with a listing of their name in the following:

• • Event program book
  • Event website
  • Virtual event credits
  • Independence Historical Trust’s Annual Report

To talk to a staff member about becoming a sponsor,

please call Natasha Calabria at 215-861-4972 or email her at gala@inht.org

To mail a check in, please make it payable to the Independence Visitor Center Corporation and mail it to:

Independence Visitor Center Corporation

Attn: Marketing Department

1 N. Independence Mall West

6th and Market Streets

Philadelphia, PA 19106

Thank you to the support of our committee members

Soiree Committee Members

Alexandra Bauer

Flora L. Becker

Rev. Bonnie Camarda

Joan Carter

Flora M. Castillo

Cassandra Coleman

Alison Grove

Margaret Hughes

Keisha Jordan

Karen D. Kaufman

Lauri Kavulich

Tiffany Newmuis

Deborah E. O’Brien 

Angelina Perryman

Maithili Pradhan

Leslie Richards

Maria Frizelle Roberts

Kara L. Schweiker 

Dianne Semingson

Amy Shearer

Lauren Vague Stager

Alexandra Wentworth Tatnall

Tiffany Tavarez

Angela Val

Laurie Wagman

Governing Board Members

Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King is the founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative. She has long been a champion for social change and equality. King created new inroads for all genders in sports and beyond during her legendary career and she continues to make her mark today.

King was named one of the ‘100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century’ by Life Magazine and, in 2009, in recognition of her work as a social justice pioneer and her accomplishments in sports, President Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

In 2014, King, and her partner Ilana Kloss, launched the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative to address equality and inclusion issues in the workplace. In 2018, King and Kloss were named to the ownership group of the Los Angeles Dodgers and in 2019 King’s deep Southern California roots were recognized with the opening of the Billie Jean King Main Library in her hometown of Long Beach, California. In 2020 King was honored with the release of the Billie Jean King Barbie doll, part of Mattel’s Inspiring Women Series.

King grew up playing tennis in the California public parks and won 39 Grand Slam titles during her career. She helped form the Virginia Slims Series and founded the Women’s Tennis Association. She defeated Bobby Riggs in one of the greatest moments in sports history – the Battle of the Sexes on Sept. 20, 1973.

In 2017, Fox Searchlight released the critically acclaimed film, Battle of the Sexes,starring Academy Award® winner Emma Stone as King and Academy Award® nominee Steve Carrell as Bobby Riggs, which depicts both players’ battles on and off the court as well as the cultural and social impact of the groundbreaking match.

In 1974 King co-founded World Team Tennis, the revolutionary professional team tennis league. That same year she also founded the Women’s Sports Foundation. In August 2006, the National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of her accomplishments on and off the court. In 2014 President Obama named King to the Presidential Delegation for the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. In 2018 King received a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. In 2019 ESPN established the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, which is presented annually at the network’s Sports Humanitarian Awards ceremony. King serves on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation, is an adidas Global Ambassador and is a past member of the board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and a past member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

Aunyea Lachelle is a lifestyle & entertainment reporter for NBC10 Philadelphia. You can watch her reports weekdays on Philly Live at 11:45 a.m.

“Having been born and raised here, I know this area is bursting with entertainment! There’s so much to do and see, from music and food to sports and events, we’ve got it all,” said Aunyea.

Aunyea joined NBC10 in July 2019 and enjoys showing viewers the amazing, hidden gems our region has to offer. During her time at NBC10, she has covered a variety of subjects, from highlighting local businesses and owners during the Coronavirus pandemic, to interviewing sports legend Billie Jean King, and Philly’s own music legend Patti Labelle. Aunyea enjoys highlighting the work of local non-profits and community groups who she believes are the true champions of the city.

Prior to joining NBC10, Aunyea worked as a community affairs coordinator, programming producer and digital reporter at WPVI.

A native of Northeast Philadelphia, Aunyea holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from West Chester University. She is a proud member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and is passionate about women’s rights, equality, and access to education.

When she is not reporting, Aunyea enjoys spending time with family and friends, keeping up with the latest celebrity news and trending topics, listening to music and even writing her own songs every now and then.

Connect with Aunyea!

Twitter: @AunyeaLachelle

Facebook: @AunyeaLachelle

Instagram: @AunyeaLachelle

The History of the Justice Bell

The Independence Soiree will be hosted on the 100th Anniversary of the day that the Justice Bell or also known as the Woman’s Liberty Bell, rang for the first time.

Commissioned in 1915, the bell was created to be a replica of the Liberty Bell and promote the cause of women’s suffrage in the United States.  Funded by suffragette Katherine Wentworth Ruschenberger, the bell traveled on the back of a flat bed truck to all 67 counties of Pennsylvania to rally the cry for the woman’s right to vote.

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was adopted and certified by Congress.  In celebration, a month later on September 25, 1920, the Justice Bell was brought to Independence Hall.  There the clapper was unchained and the bell rang out for the first time to symbolized that the voices of women were no longer silenced.

The adoption of the 19th Amendment was the first step towards equality between men and women but there would still be many battles yet to come. While white woman of the time enjoyed the benefits of voting, it would be many, many years before minority woman would be able to freely vote. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 when all people, no matter their race or gender would be allowed the right to vote in the elections of the United States.

After the ringing of the Justice Bell on September 25, 1920, the bell was placed the grounds of (what would become) Valley Forge National Park.  Mrs. Ruschenberger left the bell in her will to the Valley Forge Memorial Chapel.  To this day, the bell resides at the chapel.