2026 A Night at the Races for C.A.M.P. University

Photographing One of the Most Fun Galas in the Rio Grande Valley

This year, I had the opportunity to help photograph C.A.M.P. University’s gala again.

The theme was A Night at the Races, and since this year’s event fell on Cinco de Mayo, the room had even more color, music, hats, laughter, and energy than usual.

If you’ve never been to one of these galas, it really is a lot of fun.

People show up dressed like they’re headed to the Kentucky Derby. There are hats, bright colors, nice suits, bow ties, dresses, laughter, and a room full of people who are clearly there to enjoy themselves.

Then there are the races.

They have sponsored race horses shown on video, and when the race starts, the room gets loud fast. People cheer for their horse. Tables start yelling. Someone’s organization wins. Everyone gets into it.

This year had that same race-night energy, but with a Cinco de Mayo feel woven into the room. The decorations were colorful. The outfits were fun. The whole night had a little extra life to it.

But the more years I photograph events like this, the more I’m reminded that the fun is only part of the story.

Underneath the theme, the decorations, the outfits, and the cheering is a group of people showing up for something that matters.

How I First Connected With C.A.M.P. University

I think this was my third year photographing the gala.

My connection to C.A.M.P. University started in one of those very Rio Grande Valley ways, where one relationship quietly leads to another.

Years ago, I was covering an event while working with the Valley Symphony Orchestra. I met one of the previous directors from C.A.M.P. University, and that eventually opened the door for me to help with their gala.

Then, when I showed up, I realized another connection was already there.

Pam Voss, the Executive Director of C.A.M.P. University, is married to Pastor Chris Voss.

Chris was one of my friends from one of the very first Bible studies I attended (Bible Study Fellowship).

Small world.

That’s something I’ve always loved about the Rio Grande Valley. You can walk into a gig thinking it’s just another assignment, and then suddenly there is a connection. A bible study connection. A client connection. A friend from years ago. Someone who knows someone you know.

It reminds you that community is not just a word people use in speeches.

Sometimes it is standing right in front of you.

More Than a Gala

C.A.M.P. University serves adults with special needs after high school.

That part matters.

For a lot of families, high school gives structure. There are teachers, schedules, activities, classmates, routines, and support systems. But after graduation, families can be left asking, “What now?”

That is where an organization like C.A.M.P. University becomes so important.

It gives adults with special needs a place to continue growing, learning, socializing, building skills, and being part of something.

And honestly, when you see the support in the room at the gala, it warms your heart.

You see people buying tables.

You see people sponsoring races.

You see people dressed up and laughing.

You see people giving, not because they have to, but because they believe in the work.

That is what I enjoy about photographing nonprofit events.

Yes, I’m there to take the clean photos. The sponsor photos. The room shots. The details. The people on stage. The moments that help the organization promote the event next year.

But I’m also watching the room.

I’m watching how people respond.

I’m watching the little moments that tell you whether an event has a heartbeat.

This one does.

The Fun Makes It Work

One thing I respect about this gala is that it does not feel heavy.

It could.

The mission is serious. The need is real. The families being served have real concerns and real hopes for their loved ones.

But the event itself has joy in it.

That is not a small thing.

The Night at the Races theme gives people permission to relax, dress up, cheer, laugh, and enjoy the night. And with it falling on Cinco de Mayo this year, that joy felt even more colorful.

The room had big hats, bright outfits, mariachi music, colorful decor, and people who were clearly having a good time.

That matters.

Because good nonprofit work needs support, but it also needs energy. It needs people to come back. It needs people to bring friends. It needs people to feel connected to the mission instead of feeling like they just attended another formal dinner.

When the room is cheering for a sponsored horse on the screen, it may look like everyone is just having fun.

And they are.

But that fun is helping keep something meaningful going.

The Photos That Stayed With Me

There were a few images from the night that stayed with me.

One was the room cheering during the video races. Hands were in the air, people were laughing, and everyone was locked into the screen waiting to see which horse would win.

That photo says a lot about the night.

It was loud.

It was fun.

It was exactly what the event was supposed to feel like.

Another image that stood out was the colorful horse decoration near the entrance. It was bright, festive, and full of personality. It told you right away that this was not going to be a stiff event.

Then there was the image of Pam Voss speaking.

I always think leadership photos matter at nonprofit events because people need to see the faces behind the work. These organizations do not run by accident. There are people planning, calling, asking, organizing, carrying details, and making sure the mission keeps moving.

There was also a quiet hug that I photographed during the night.

I don’t know the full story behind that moment, and I don’t need to.

The photo says enough.

It was connection.

It was trust.

It was one of those small moments that reminds you why photography still matters.

And then there were the wide photos of the room. A full ballroom. Tables filled. People dressed up. People giving. People paying attention. People showing up.

That is part of the story too.

Sometimes the wide shot is not the most emotional image, but it shows scale. It shows support. It shows that people made the decision to be there.

Why These Events Matter to Photograph

As a photographer, events like this are a good reminder that the job is not only to document what happened.

It is to help people remember why it mattered.

The wide shot of the room matters because it shows support.

The photos of people dressed up matter because they show the personality of the night.

The candid laughs matter because they show the energy.

The sponsor moments matter because they show who helped make it possible.

The small interactions matter because they remind people that this is not just a fundraiser. It is a community gathering around a mission.

That is the part I care about most.

I don’t want the photos to feel like a checklist. I want them to feel like the night actually felt.

Because later, when the event is over, the decorations are packed up, and everyone goes home, the photos are what help the story stay alive.

They help C.A.M.P. University show future supporters what the night looked like.

They help donors see that their support is part of something alive.

They help remind the people in the room that they were part of a good thing.

A Small World, A Good Cause

The older I get, the more I appreciate how often life circles back around.

I met people connected to C.A.M.P. University through other work. I walked into the gala and found an old Bible study connection through Pastor Chris Voss. I’ve now photographed the event multiple years.

And every time, I leave reminded that good work is usually carried by a lot of people most of us never fully see.

People planning.

People donating.

People volunteering.

People inviting friends.

People buying tables.

People showing up dressed for the Derby, celebrating Cinco de Mayo, and cheering at a video horse race because they know the night is about something bigger than the race.

That is the part that sticks with me.

A gala can be fun.

It can be loud.

It can be full of color and laughter.

But when it is connected to a mission like C.A.M.P. University, it becomes more than a night out.

It becomes one more way a community says, “We see this work, and we want to help.”

I was grateful to be there again.

And I was grateful to help tell a small part of the story.