Kate’s Club, the Atlanta-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering children, teens, their families, and young adults facing life after the death of someone important to them, hosted its 2025 Mourning Glory Gala on April 26 at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead.
The event raised over $350,000 to support Kate’s Club’s programs to help those experiencing loss thrive together and create a world in which it’s okay to grieve.
From live entertainment by W!ll & The Exclamation to a moving program featuring a video segment with remarks from founder Kate Atwood and a powerful testimonial from a Kate’s Club member family, the evening reflected the resilience and strength of a community brought together by grief and sustained through connection.
“Whether we like it or not, we are a community joined by the shared experience of grief,” said Lisa Aman, Executive Director of Kate’s Club. “The Mourning Glory Gala is a celebration of the moments that unite our community – from the encouragement shared between members, to the courageous stories told, to the powerful connections that form when we come together.”
A notable highlight of the evening was the story of the Pendleton family, featured in the gala video. Valerie Pendleton and her three sons have experienced an unimaginable series of losses in a short span of time. In 2021, Valerie’s oldest son’s biological father died. In 2022, his stepfather, and the biological father of her two younger sons, also passed away. Soon after, the boys’ grandfather died.
Through this profound grief, Kate’s Club became a vital source of healing and connection for their family. Following the video, the Pendletons stood to be recognized while the room erupted in a standing ovation in support of their courage, resilience, and the love that continues to carry them forward.
“Kate’s Club has changed my life,” Pendleton said. “It has helped me to understand my grief process, my children’s grief process, and it’s helped me to understand that it’s okay not to be okay. I’m forever grateful for the work being done at Kate’s Club. Because of them, I feel my children’s future is going to be a bright one.”
The need for organizations like Kate’s Club has never been greater. In Georgia alone, more than 230,000 children are grieving a loss, with more than 100,000 in Metro Atlanta.
Thanks to the generosity of gala attendees and sponsors, Kate’s Club will continue to provide recreational and therapeutic programming in safe spaces, both in-person and online, at no cost to members. K
For more information or to support Kate’s Club’s mission, visit katesclub.org.