Singer, songwriter, actress and author Michelle Williams will headline the second-annual Diamonds storytelling gala on July 17 in Rockford. (Photo provided by Founders Commission)Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The second annual Diamonds storytelling gala will be headlined by Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Michelle Williams.
The Founders Commission, a nonprofit launched last year to share the region’s success stories and cultivate high-profile events, made the announcement on Wednesday.
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The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 17 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront, 416 S. Main St., in downtown. Tickets are on sale at FoundersCommission.org/diamonds.
Williams, a 1997 Auburn High School graduate, rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of Destiny’s Child – one of the best-selling female musical groups of all time.
“I’m so excited to come home for the second annual Diamonds,” Williams said in a news release. “While my career achievements have taken me around the world, my story traces back to Rockford. I’m looking forward to being home again and giving back as part of this amazing program.”
Williams is now a mental health advocate who has publicly discussed her battle with depression, which led to her hosting her own podcast “Checking-In with Michelle Williams” on the iHeartMedia Network. In 2021, she released her first book ”Checking In: How Getting Real about Depression Saved My Life — and Can Save Yours” and just a year later she released a follow-up Journal, “The Daily Check-In.”
Williams will be joined by Roscoe native and ESPN SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe, who will emcee the event for the second straight year. Briscoe will interview Williams during an evening program that includes an invite-only pre-event reception, dinner, cash bar, audience question-and-answer session, live entertainment and a post-event reception.
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The Founders Commission will also present its inaugural Diamonds Scholar post-secondary scholarship.
Top Gun pilot Michael Andrews, a 1998 Auburn High School graduate, was last year’s featured speaker.
“After last year’s acclaimed debut of Diamonds, we’re ecstatic to spotlight another iconic, ongoing success story,” Nick Povalitis, founder and president of Founders Commission, said in a news release. “We’re incredibly grateful to Michelle (Williams) for joining us this year. Her story embodies excellence and perseverance – it’s filled with lessons that we as a community can learn from and better ourselves from in so many ways.”
Prior to the evening show, the Founders Commission, Williams and the Rockford Park District will team up for a youth engagement event called Next Gems. The free, invitation-only afternoon program will be centered on mental health and wellness for area youth. More details on that will be released at a later time.
If you go | Diamonds
About: This formal attire celebration is a fundraiser for the nonprofit Founders Commission. In addition, a portion of this year’s proceeds will be donated to a local nonprofit to be announced later on behalf of Williams.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 17
Where: Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront, 416 S. Main St., Rockford
How much: Tickets are $125 per person and 1834 Club corporate tables of eight are available for $1,834.
Info/tickets: FoundersCommission.org
Michelle Williams will be the featured speaker on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, for the second-annual Diamonds gala. (Photo provided by Founders Commission)