Molly Fletcher and Mary Lou Retton To Throw Virtual Celebrity Gala
Designed for “4word” thinkers in professional gender equity, the gala will feature a celebrity guest discussion, live silent auctions and customizable gifts mailed to participants to commemorate the occasion.
On Feb. 27, Toyota will present the 4word 2021 Virtual Gala: An Evening with Mary Lou Retton, which will be moderated by motivational speaker Molly Fletcher. For those looking for a way to spend an hour of their Saturday night, the sixth annual online celebration will be live streaming at 7 p.m. from The Slate media studios in Dallas. Multi-Emmy-award-winning journalist Shelly Slater will direct the Gala.
The 4word 2021 Virtual Gala commemorates the nonprofit’s tenth anniversary since its founding. 4word is a faith-based organization with a mission of empowering women in the workplace through networking and mentorship. Though the communities are internationally dispersed, 4word has its founding branch in Dallas, according to 4word’s website.
The organization is marketed towards working caregivers who struggle with guilt and isolation that stems from dividing their time between home, work and church. Through connections with other women from ages 25 to 65, 4word members build friendships with others who share their religious beliefs.
“We are honored to have two inspirational powerhouses take the stage,” says founder and executive director of 4word Diane Paddison. “[They’ll] provide insight on how to achieve success based on the characteristics of real-life champions.”
The aforementioned guests include U.S. gold-medal Olympian in gymnastics Mary Lou Retton. Retton won five medals at the 1984 Olympics. Nowadays, she is a gymnastics commentator, author and “Fitness Ambassador.” Since she was the first woman to reach achievements such as appearing on the Wheaties Box and receiving The Flo Hyman Award by former Secretary U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Retton will speak on her commitment to excellence.
Joining Retton is Molly Fletcher —or the “female Jerry Maguire,” according to CNN — was as one of the world’s first sports agents, recruiting and representing hundreds of sport’s biggest names including Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, PGA TOUR golfer Matt Kuchar, broadcaster Erin Andrews and basketball championship coaches Tom Izzo and Doc Rivers. Currently, she works as an entrepreneur, author of five books and podcast host.
Individual tickets for the online gala and gift combination start at $500. Sponsorship opportunities are available at the $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000 levels. The 4word 2021 Virtual Gala is sponsored by Toyota, Linda Buford, Locke Lord LLP, Valiant Integrated Services, and Monica and Leland White, Swallowtail Group and FedEx Office. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit 4word’s website or text GALA to 95577.
