WARREN — Inspiring Minds celebrated its 19th annual fundraising gala Saturday with a party at its Warren headquarters. This year’s theme was centered around “growth.”

The gala drew a large crowd of supporters to the 22,500-square-foot facility that now serves as the hub for programming that reaches 500 students annually across six chapters in four states.

Deryck Toles, founder and CEO of Inspiring Minds, traced the organization’s journey from makeshift beginnings to its current form in his address to the audience.

“We literally started in McDonald’s with five kids meeting in backyards, basements,” Toles told the crowd. “Our first ‘gala’ had maybe 60 people in a room. Now look at this, we’ve got tour buses taking kids to colleges.”

He continued, “Kids come to us as seeds. All the love, resources and time we pour in — we want to see them grow into something beautiful. That first year, I told Jim Whetstone I dreamed of taking kids to Africa and having our own building. He looked at me like I was crazy but said ‘I’ll help you get there.'”

Toles singled out Whetstone, whose golf outings have raised $1 million over 19 years. But he also credited Whetstone as being a mentor to the students and a lifeline to the program.

Joe DeSalvo, of DeSalvo Construction, also acknowledged the impact of Whetstone while accepting his new role as co-chair of the organization’s annual golf outing.

“Jim (Whetstone) and his family have been pillars of this community for decades,” DeSalvo said. “While we may not match what they’ve accomplished, we’ll bring new energy alongside our trade partners and community businesses represented here tonight.”

DeSalvo said he was grateful for being a part of Inspiring Minds as he noted the impact it has had on students’ lives.

“My mom was a teacher at Youngstown City Schools. I’ve been coaching now for nine years as a volunteer. Our oldest daughter just graduated from The Ohio State University. She’s gonna be a minister teacher,” DeSalvo said, speaking about his family’s education background.

He added, “Teaching is so important, and it resonates with everybody, and there’s no better way to impact the youth of our community other than doing something positive and make real change by supporting the youth of our community.”

The gala featured an international brunch-themed cuisine lineup with food items from East Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. “We wanted to replicate that hotel brunch experience where you see food from every culture,” Toles said. “It’s about getting people out of their comfort zones, just like we teach our kids.”

Students took center stage throughout the afternoon, handling check-ins, merchandise sales and hosting duties.

One of those students, James Jones-Moore, has been with Inspiring Minds since 2017. He spoke at the event, crediting the organization with shaping his personal development.

“We’ve done talent shows, community cleanups, it’s shown me things I never thought I’d try,” said Moore, now a high school senior about to graduate.

His next step is entering the workforce after graduation.

“The program lets us express ourselves without holding back. For that, we thank everybody here,” James said.

Junior Da’Najah Stella, a 16-year-old who joined Inspiring Minds in third grade, credited the program with helping her discover a culinary career path.

“Being part of IM gave me hands-on experience cooking for pop-up restaurants and fundraisers,” Da’Najah said.

She specifically recalled a pivotal moment for her that came during a program trip to an HBCU. “When we visited Howard University, it changed everything,” Da’Najah said to attendees. “I’d never seen anything like that before. It made me realize how much bigger the world is than what I knew growing up in Warren.”

The aspiring chef also talked about the multigenerational impact the program has had on her family, with three younger siblings now participating.

“It’s amazing to watch them start the same journey that gave me so much,” she said. “Success doesn’t come from knowing exactly who you are right away. Inspiring Minds gave me space to keep rediscovering myself.”

Longtime volunteer Carla King, who has served with Inspiring Minds since its first year, offered her testimony to how the program impacted her daughter, who was one of the organization’s earliest participants.

“I was in a dark place when my daughter started with Deryck’s group,” King said.

But King described how her daughter’s trajectory changed after joining.

“She was doing calculus homework I couldn’t even understand. When she got an Ohio scholarship, I thought ‘perfect — she’ll stay close.’ Then she announced she wanted to go to Alabama A&M instead,” she said.

The turning point for her came when King sought (Deryck) Toles’ intervention.

“I went to Deryck (Toles) saying ‘please talk her out of this!’ He just looked at me and said ‘I think she should go.’ I was furious,” King said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “But I prayed on it and let her go. Today she’s an electrical engineer, and Deryck attended her graduation.”

King now helps oversee an alumni scholarship fund created by former participants.

“We give back because this program works,” she said. “Another student works at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. One’s with companies in New York and Boston. Another is a sheriff’s deputy. That’s why I keep volunteering, these kids prove it makes a difference.”

Looking ahead, Toles outlined big plans for their summer programing, “This summer we’re taking seniors to South Africa, another group to Nike HQ in Portland. Our entrepreneurship market will let kids sell products they’ve created all summer.”

Staff photo / Chris McBride
Inspiring Minds alumnus Deon Stubbs, left, and founder / CEO Deryck Toles pose during the organization’s 19th annual gala at its Warren headquarters on Saturday.