Willie Ross School for the Deaf to Present Annual Gala on April 10

LONGMEADOW — Willie Ross School for the Deaf (WRSD) will hold its annual gala on Thursday, April 10 from 6 to 10 p.m., honoring longtime supporter George Balsley II, who passed away on March 17, and community partner WWLP-22 News. For the first time, this year’s gala will be held at a new location, at Bay Path University’s Blake Student Commons in Longmeadow.

Tickets for the Gala are $85. To register to attend or to become a sponsor for the gala, visit www.wrsdeaf.org/annual-gala. WRSD is holding an online and in-person auction and raffle as part of the event, which can be accessed on the gala page on the WRSD website. Bidding is open and runs through April 25 at 10 p.m.

Balsley, whom WRSD chose for this honor prior to his passing, served as chair of the WRSD board of trustees, and was the first deaf chair of the board in the school’s history. After graduating from Boston Architectural College, Balsley became a registered architect in 1987, the only deaf architect in New England and New York at that time. He worked in the field of architecture for more than 40 years in the areas of residential, educational, commercial, and healthcare design, working with clients such as Clarke School for the Deaf, Rhode Island School for the Deaf, Gallaudet University, St. Mary’s School in Buffalo, and Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.

Using his lifelong experience with deafness, Balsley created a new specialty called Designing for the Deaf, a movement that calls for all-inclusive design practices. He advocated throughout his career that architects, planners, and interior designers must be involved in design practices and principles that consider all abilities.

In addition to WRSD, Balsley was involved with many organizations serving the deaf, including DEAF Inc., Institute of Human Centered Design, Western Massachusetts Assoc. of the Deaf, Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and others.

Bert Carter, president and CEO of Willie Ross School for the Deaf, said Balsley “brought his unique talents and experiences to our board of trustees. He made places of deaf education better by using his significant talents in building deaf-friendly schools. It was an honor to have had him on the board, supporting the school, its teachers, and staff.”

WWLP-22 News has supported the school through coverage of events and the deaf education community. The NBC affiliate has consistently covered the school’s many milestones, including graduations, its annual gala, campus expansions, and legislative gatherings, and through its coverage, it has raised awareness among the larger population of the school’s accomplishments and efforts in serving deaf and hard-of-hearing students. 

The auction and raffle are supported by many individuals and businesses who have donated items. To date, businesses that have donated include Bark Box, Tree House Brewing Co., Scavenger Hunts by Let’s Roam, New England Free Jacks, the New England Patriots, the BroBasket, Target, the Boston Bruins, Golden Nozzle Car Wash, and the Boston Red Sox.

WRSD and Bay Path recently formed a partnership to develop new early-education classroom space in Bay Path’s Theinert Hall to address WRSD’s need for more early education space, which opened earlier this year. The new space on the Bay Path campus enables Willie Ross to serve an additional 20 students as the school has experienced a growing Early Childhood program. The classrooms also provide opportunities for hands-on experience for Bay Path University students.