Package Deal

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Ryan Nece's nonprofit foundation hosts an annual fund-raising gala that has quickly become a highlight of the Tampa social scene. But for the third annual Night With the Stars gala, held Saturday, July 18, the foundation, like most nowadays, faced the challenge of soliciting donations and impressing guests with a modest production budget.

"Last year the event was really production heavy," said Brooke Palmer of RSBP Events, who managed the gala along with Ryan Nece Foundation director Allison Stokes. "We had a lot of huge elements, like a backlit pool that changed colors. Working on a smaller budget this year, we wanted to find a venue that would partner with us and allow us to throw just as impressive an event without bringing so much in ourselves."

The foundation opted to throw the 250-person party at banquet facility TPepin Hospitality Center. The venue, said Palmer, "is really state-of-the-art in terms of what's already there—[including] the lighting, furniture, and sound elements. It allowed us to save a lot of money, but still put on as high quality an event as we did last year."

Decor transformed the facility into a Zen nightclub. "Ryan is from L.A., so he was really into this idea of doing a club vibe," Palmer said. To that end, the space was outfitted with white lounge furniture, blue and purple lighting, and a "starry night" backdrop on the stage. DJ Peoples added to the mood with hip-hop, soul classics, and mash-ups, while Mise en Place tied in to the Zen lounge theme by preparing Asian stir-fry in the open kitchen.

The gala, which ran from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., included live and silent auctions consisting mostly of sports-related items, such as trips to the Espy awards and the Super Bowl. A number of Nece’s former teammates were in attendance, as was Nece’s father, NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott.

The gala raised $35,000 to benefit the Tampa Bay community, almost as much as in previous years.