Second annual Fore the Families Cocktail Par•tee hosted by Ronald McDonald House Charities

Written By Alicia Vial

NEW ORLEANS – Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana (RMHCSLA) will host their second annual Fore the Families Cocktail Par•tee on Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the atrium of the Louisiana Children’s Museum located in New Orleans City Park.

This exclusive cocktail party will feature libations, local fare from Dickie Brennan catering, live entertainment by the Jazz Ensemble from The Roots of Music Studio Academy and a luxury live auction. 

“We have so much to celebrate,” said Grace McIntosh, executive director of RMHCSLA. “Within the last year and a half, the Ronald McDonald House on the campus of Children’s Hospital New Orleans together with the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Lafayette have served almost 700 families and 2,000 individuals facing medical challenges for almost 11,000 nights. Our dedicated team has helped provided more than 12,000 meals and welcome visitors from eight countries, 18 states and 46 Louisiana parishes to our facilities.”

Early bird tickets for the Cocktail Par•tee are $50 per person if purchased before Oct. 1 and then $65 per person after Oct. 1. Tickets to this event are extremely limited. For more information and to purchase, please visit HERE. Proceeds from this annual event support the families that stay with RMHCSLA at no cost to them.

Since RMHCSLA’s founding in December 1983, they have served more than 40,000 families from Greater New Orleans and across the country and the world. With the help of the local community, they help ease the financial and emotional burdens families face as they access critical care for their children. They are that home-away-from-home, offering free accommodations, volunteer-provided meals, case management, transportation when needed, a food pantry and a support system like no other.

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Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana
Since 1983, RMHCSLA has partnered with our local children’s health care providers to keep families together and near the medical care their ill or injured children need. Through the generosity of our donors and volunteers, RMHCSLA continues to focus on families’ needs as they face the medical uncertainty and financial stress of caring for their children. 

Today, RMHCSLA serves critically ill children through our Ronald McDonald House® located in New Orleans on the campus of Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald Family Room® in Lafayette at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital, and Ronald McDonald Hospitality Carts. Through these programs we help provide housing, meals, community, and psychosocial support to families with children at local hospitals across Louisiana, the Gulf South Region and around the world. 

Alicia Vial

Alicia Vial is a New Orleans native with more than a decade of experience elevating client stories and leading crisis response. As the senior director of strategy, Alicia acts as a leader within the Gambel Communications team ensuring each agency team member is positioned to deliver strategic public relations services that meet the highest standards of the industry. In addition to supporting the agency’s long-term business growth and development, she coordinates day-to-day account services and oversees strategic direction while staying abreast of best practices and industry trends to provide innovative solutions to meet client’s needs.

Before joining Gambel Communications, Alicia served as the communications director for the Louisiana SPCA, the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in Louisiana that impacts more than 74,000 animals per year. During her nearly eight-year tenure, Alicia oversaw numerous crises, served on national communication taskforces, oversaw all aspects of internal and external relations and worked alongside the development department to raise critical funding. Prior to that, she worked in the fast-paced New Orleans hospitality industry focusing on digital public relations for multiple hotels.

Alicia is a member of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana (PRAL), Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a board member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) New Orleans Chapter and a member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. An accredited public relations practitioner (APR), Alicia is also certified in crisis communications, organizational leadership, content marketing and social media.

A well respected and trusted public relations practitioner, Alicia has been recognized by SPRF as a ‘Senior Practitioner of the Year’. Dubbed early on in her career as one to watch, she also received the ‘Rising Star’ award by PRAL and was profiled in St. Charles Avenue Magazine as part of their Young Bloods series. Most recently, she was recognized at PRSA’s annual Fleurish Awards and received four Awards of Excellence for her work along with the ‘Plate Spinner’ award for her efforts on the board of directors for the chapter.

An LSU graduate, Alicia received a bachelor's degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and minors in business administration and leadership development. She is a frequent speaker and presenter on public relations topics, most recently presenting at the Jefferson Economic Development Commission and SPRF annual conference.

When Alicia is not at work, you can find her at the ballpark with her three boys or cheering on the Tigers in Death Valley.

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