YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Two decades after a single community basketball game sparked an idea, The Hope Foundation of the Mahoning Valley is celebrating 20 years of helping children facing chronic and terminal illness with a campaign called “20 Years, One Mission.”
The Foundation’s 20th anniversary goal is $125,000, including $100,000 raised at the 15th Annual Wine for Hope gala on April 9, 2027. The rest will come from campaign gifts at every level, from a $20 Signature Gift in honor of each year of service to Legacy and Presenting sponsorships.
The story began in 2005 at the inaugural Game of Hope Basketball Event, where community leaders, business owners, civil servants, and Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity came together for local kids. Anthony Spano founded The Hope Foundation in 2007 with a group of volunteers.
In 2005 a community showed up for its kids, and I couldn’t walk away from what that meant. Twenty years later the answer is the same. This community still shows up. Everything we have done, every grant and every wish, has been powered by volunteers and neighbors who believe every child deserves joy.
Anthony Spano, Founder
Twenty years of impact
- 3,500+ children and families helped through financial assistance, wish-granting, and community support since 2007
- 14 consecutive Wine for Hope galas, with the 15th set for April 9, 2027
- 53 local families helped in 2025 alone
Every event is planned and run by volunteers, and every dollar goes directly to the children and families we serve. That promise has not changed in twenty years, and we want the 20th year to be our biggest yet.
A dedicated anniversary page tells the Foundation’s 20-year story and lets supporters give to the campaign. Residents can also join the celebration at Wine for Hope on Friday, April 9, 2027, at Waypoint 4180 in Canfield, where early-bird tickets are $75 through December 31.
How to take part
- Give to the campaign: hopemv.org/20th-anniversary
- Attend Wine for Hope: hopemv.org/wine
- Sponsor, volunteer, or donate an auction item: info@hopemv.org
Partners: ASECU, American Business Centers, Northeast Behavioral Health, Komara Jewelers, Lamar, Minuteman Press-Youngstown, Waypoint 4180, Mix 98.9 and Superior Beverage Group.
