The Helen DeVos Legacy Award honors the legacy of its namesake by recognizing prolific women who have helped to expand and enrich the cultural life of West Michigan. This year, we recognize Kate Pew Wolters for her lifetime of service to the arts, education, human services, and people with disabilities. Kate’s positive impact, through philanthropy, leadership, and advocacy has been felt throughout the non-profit community in West Michigan.
St. Cecilia Music Center was founded by nine Grand Rapids women 141 years ago and this award and the gala pay tribute to a significant part of our history. Previous honorees include Helen DeVos, Stella Royce, Karen Henry Stokes, Mary Goodwillie Nelson, and the "trailblazing trio" of Ellen Arlinsky, Mary Bloom, and Kate McGarry.
The Helen DeVos Legacy Award Gala is graciously sponsored by the DeVos Family Foundation.
Event Schedule
5:00pm - Cocktail Hour
6:00pm - Performance in Royce Auditorium
6:30pm - Dinner in the Dexter Ballroom
7:30pm - Presentation to honor Kate Pew Wolters
Black Tie Optional
Complimentary Valet Parking
$150 - Single Ticket
$1,200 - 1 Table (8 Seats)
$1,500 - Table Sponsorship with Special Recognition
The Helen DeVos Legacy Award Gala is a unique opportunity for your company to show support for women who have blazed a trail in our community through leadership, innovation, and generosity. Sponsorship also includes table seating at the event as well as significant marketing benefits.
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About Helen DeVos
When you think about the arts in Grand Rapids, it’s impossible not to recognize the impact of Helen DeVos’ legacy. Her deep care for and love of the arts guided her investment of both time and resources and was integral to shaping the cultural landscape of our community.
Mrs. DeVos’s generosity was far-reaching, including transformational gifts to education, health care, and the arts. Specifically, her local and national support for music forever changed the scope and trajectory of many arts organizations, ensuring high-quality music experiences for community members for generations to come.
Mrs. DeVos was well known as a supporter of symphony orchestras and classical music. She served on the board of the Grand Rapids Symphony in numerous capacities since 1971. She served as a member and board member of St. Cecilia Music Center from 1970-1974 and was also board president for part of that time. Mrs. DeVos was an honorary board member of the League of American Orchestras in New York City, for which she served as a board member from 1982-1992.
Combining their passion for arts and education, the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation also supported opening the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Arts and Worship at Grand Rapids Christian High School and the DeVos Communications Center at Calvin College.
In 2019, St. Cecilia Music Center inaugurated the first Helen DeVos Legacy Award to celebrate Helen’s contributions to the cultural life of West Michigan. It is presented each year to honor outstanding women who have developed, contributed to, and advocated for supporting and expanding the arts within West Michigan, as Helen did.
To learn more about Helen's incredible legacy, click here.
