COCA Turns Up the Fundraising Voltage at 2023 COCAcabana

Spotlight on the Annual Fundraiser for COCA — The Center for Creative Arts

by Grayling Holmes / Photos courtesy of Ann K. Photography and Ryan Archer

This year’s COCAcabana’s theme was “Electric Oasis: Glowing and Growing at COCA”. The annual fundraising event shined a spotlight on the ways the arts organization champions students to grow and glow. Held on April 28, more than 500 business and community leaders gathered for artistic performances, imaginative games, dinner, cocktails and dancing. The event raises close to a million dollars annually. Those funds account for nearly 20 percent of COCA’s annual contributed revenue. The silent and live auctions added voltage to the Center for Creative Arts, which provides arts programming and scholarships for students attending arts-challenged schools.

Amy Drummond, Bill Carson, Colin Toney, Betsy Toney, Tyler Cain, Elizabeth Cain, Lydia Bledsoe, Indigo Sams, Josh Bledsoe, Tiffany Bradley, Bill Bradley. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Kristin Johnson & P.K. Johnson, Photo by Ann K Photography.

Daffney Moore, Cerese Pennington. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Karen Grudzien, Elizabeth Cain. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Pauline Cella, Gabriel Butu, Cheryl Pettus, Virginia Howell, Megan Rowe, John Cella, Joel Pettus, Will Cella. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Stephanie Randall, Kate Totterdale, Aisling Leonard, Laurie Lock. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Antonio Douthit-Boyd, Abby Hailand, Caroline Wideman, Justavian Tillman. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Indigo Sams, Sheila Little-Forrest. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Sylvia Graham, Damon Roberts, Al Mitchell, Terry Purtty, Marsha Mitchell, Max Watlington. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Rhonda Carter Adams, Daron Hendrix. Photo by Ann K Photography.

COCAcabana Alumni Chair, Rodney Hamilton. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Lisa Caplan, Sheila Little-Forrest, Barbara Archer. Photo by Ann K Photography.

Hank & Mary Slay, Carla & Glen Slay. Photo by Austin Gillespie.

Reggie Van Derson, Cuppie Chivetta, Virginia Howell, Gabriel Butu. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Mahesh Bagwe & Kelly Bagwe. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Lauren Pronger & Chris Pronger. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Sarah Trulaske Wantz, Laurie Garland, Min Jung Kim, Pam Trapp. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Lauren Pronger, Amanda Perkins. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Ron Kruszewski, Josh Bledsoe. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Chelsea Haynes. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Elliot the Entertainer. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Shelly & Greg Reynolds, Betsey & Hunter Brown. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Suzanne Johnson. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Frank Williams, Dan Kramer. Photo by Ryan Archer.

Reggie Van Derson, Stephanie Randall. Photo by Ryan Archer.

John Howell, Tracy Rittenbaum. Photo by Ryan Archer.