Six years ago, Gail Hoover got some friends together to celebrate her birthday, and while planning the celebration, she decided that she wanted to do some good for the Lehigh Valley. It was then that “Gail Hoover's Charity Birthday Bash” was born, and it's been an annual event ever since. “It takes a village to put on this event,” says Hoover, who recruits her friends and family to help get everything in place for the event. Half of the money goes to FACT, which stands for Fighting AIDS Continuously Together. The other half of the money goes to an animal or pet charity in need of emergency equipment for when first responders arrive on scene to rescue them. Hoover says that last year she had the idea to outfit local first responders with animal oxygen kits.
“Having served as a City of Allentown Councilwoman, I know there is no line item for these supplies,” she says. “There's just a bigger picture to be a part of—the ripple effect of one person's energy can be phenomenal. Part of all of these events is to create awareness of the problem and create awareness of how to help. There are so many worthy causes in the Lehigh Valley. Find the one that speaks to your heart and help however you feel you can,” she says.
