Follow My Steps Foundation Announces Annual Gala, Pioneers for Change Award

SPRINGFIELD — Follow My Steps Foundation announced its annual gala, Stepping Into 2026, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Basketball Hall of Fame. This signature event will bring together community leaders, partners, supporters, and youth to celebrate the strides made over the past year and to rally support for future expansion of the foundation’s mentorship, career readiness, and financial literacy programs.

At the heart of this year’s gala is the introduction of an enhanced honors program: the Pioneers for Change Award. Designed to recognize exemplary changemakers whose actions resonate with Follow My Steps’ mission, this award will celebrate five individuals who have made a measurable impact while supporting the foundation in 2025.

Nominations for the Pioneers for Change Award are open through Oct. 31. Click here for the online nomination form. Eligibility requirements include demonstrated impact in youth-focused community initiatives aligned with the mission of Follow My Steps and demonstrated support of the foundation during 2025 (through partnership, engagement, or promotion).

An advisory board will review all nominations and recommend five finalists. Final approval of honorees will be made by the board of directors by Nov. 5.

Each honoree will have the opportunity to confer a $500 scholarship to be awarded live on stage to an ‘Explorer’ (a youth participant in foundation programs). Recipients may name the scholarship after themselves or choose another meaningful title. Follow My Steps will fully fund all five youth scholarships this year. Honorees are not expected to contribute, though they are welcome to do so if they wish. In future years, Follow My Steps will continue to fund scholarships annually; however, if an honoree chooses to keep their named scholarship active beyond this year, future funding would be provided by the honoree.

Guests at the Dec. 14 gala will enjoy a catered dinner, live entertainment, and uplifting stories about the youth served by the foundation. The evening is more than a celebration; it marks the launch of a community giving campaign, aiming to raise $10,000 in individual contributions that fuel mentorship, education, and empowerment initiatives throughout the year.

Early bird tickets (through Nov. 14) cost $55 for adults and $27.50 for children. General admission tickets (Nov. 15-30) cost $65 for adults and $32.50 for children. Final admission tickets (Dec. 1-14): cost $75 for adults and $37.50 for children. Click here to purchase tickets.

Businesses and community partners are also invited to join as sponsors of the Stepping Into 2026 Gala. Five tiered sponsorship levels — copper, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum — offer meaningful opportunities to align one’s brand with youth empowerment and community advancement. Each level includes a range of benefits such as brand visibility across digital and print channels, recognition during the event, logo placement, program ads, reserved tickets, and social media promotion.

Follow My Steps Foundation is dedicated to opposing socioeconomic inequities affecting youth in underresourced communities through mentorship, career skills development, and financial education. Its vision is resilient individuals and thriving neighborhoods, one step at a time.