October 26, 2026 Submitted by Road to Responsibility
On October 8, a sold-out crowd gathered at Granite Links in Quincy for Road to Responsibility’s 38th annual Making Lives Better Gala, raising $640,000 in support of the organization’s mission of making lives better for people with disabilities.
Hingham was well represented among the businesses, sponsors, and community members supporting the evening. Hingham Jewelers, a longtime supporter of RTR, sponsored the Gala’s Cocktail Hour. Additional local support came from Aequitas Investment Advisors, Black Rock Advertising/South Shore Magazine, Sagamore Plumbing, A.W. Perry, Callahan/Hoffman, and Kate Johnson, Realtor® with Compass.
Hingham-connected members of RTR’s Board of Directors also attended and supported the event, including David Page, Maureen Doran, Mary Ann Blackmur, Leslie Stanwood, Paul Callahan, and Joe Harold.
This year’s Gala theme, Friendship, reflected something at the heart of RTR. President and CEO Chris White spoke about the relationships among Members, families, employees, and the broader community that help bring RTR’s mission to life.
Board Chair Kelly Driscoll shared some of the everyday moments that reflect RTR’s impact: the pride on a Member’s face after receiving praise for a picture they created, Members dancing at a summer luau, and residents talking about the house where they live not simply as a house, but as home.
The evening also featured an uplifting video celebrating friendships between RTR Members and staff, including Members Emily and Maureen, and staff Dineen, Deanne, and Barbara.
That sense of connection carried into the evening’s Fund-A-Need. Guests cheered one another on and raised their numbers at every giving level, supporting needs across RTR’s programs and services.
Fund-A-Need priorities included helping RTR buy and build new residences, expanding culinary training through Career Services, providing community outings and experiences, creating more opportunities for connection through Connection Corner, supporting RTR Athletics, investing in assistive technology, and helping offset rising everyday costs.
The Gala also saw strong participation in its silent auction and 50/50 raffle.
Thanks to the generosity of guests, sponsors, and donors, the 2026 Making Lives Better Gala raised $640,000 — $90,000 more than the previous year.
RTR is especially grateful to its top sponsors, PLAN Special Needs Trust, Xerox Business Solutions, benefitbay, and VHS Transportation, as well as all of the sponsors and supporters who helped make the evening possible.
Special thanks also go to returning hosts Jackie Bruno and Liam Martin, auctioneer Jim Wells, and the teams at Dayla Arabella Events, Three Phase Productions, and Granite Links.
Road to Responsibility serves more than 1,000 adults with disabilities each year through residential, day, community-based, and employment programs throughout southeastern Massachusetts.
To learn more about Road to Responsibility, visit RoadtoResponsibility.org.