Keynote speaker inspires at The Ark Gala

In spite of inclement weather, some 550 people attended The Ark Gala on Sept. 13 at the Richard Borchard Regional Fairgrounds. According to The Ark’s executive director, Delma Trejo, the gala raised $120,000 this year, a few thousand up from last year’s fundraiser. Keynote speaker Derek Clark’s inspirational message was one of transformation.

Clark is an inspirational foster care speaker for child welfare conferences. He was brutalized the first few years of his life by his own father, then by his stepfather and mother, who later abandoned him at an emergency psychiatric facility when he was five-years-old. He was placed in the foster care system where he would stay for thirteen years.
 
At the age of nine, his foster parents turned his life around and helped him believe in himself. “My life transformed when people believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” Clark said. “My life was transformed through grace, through forgiveness, through people accepting me and loving me.”
 
Clark said he toured The Ark, the day before and there were 41 children being cared for–babies trying to get off heroin and a two-year-old celebrating her birthday. “She gets to keep all the presents she got. It got me emotional and I’m very passionate about The Ark,” he said.

“You have an opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child tonight. We need your financial blessings because it is going to a good place.”