The second annual Love The Fenway fundraiser commenced at the Fenway Community Center, or FCC, Sept. 26, bringing together residents, local business owners and politicians for a celebratory night. Love The Fenway provides an opportunity for regulars and newcomers alike to visit the FCC, support its programs and events and connect with others in the neighborhood.

“This event in particular is interesting because while it is a celebration of the Fenway Community Center, it’s also a celebration of the neighborhood,” said Mallory Rohrig, FCC’s executive director.

The planning process for the yearly fundraiser begins in the spring when the center reaches out to sponsors and vendors, ensuring everything from the food to the marketing is “reflective of the Fenway neighborhood,” Rohrig said.

The night kicked off with a live band, hors d’oeuvres and speeches from key members of the Fenway area, including Rohrig, local politicians and a recorded speech from Mayor Michelle Wu. 

“The community center does so much for the people of Fenway and Boston,” Wu said in her virtual remarks. “From hosting SPARK Boston networking events, organizing playground cleanups, to helping residents — especially our older adults — learn conversational English, all that you do helps make Boston a whole lot better.”

In her speech, Rohrig sent thanks to Rep. Jay Livingstone, Rep. Daniel Ryan and Sen. William Brownsberger for helping secure $50,000 in state-earmarked funding. 

“From helping seniors in numerous ways, to game nights for young adults, to children programming on Sunday, every demographic has been hit. And it’s the type of organization I love. And I like supporting it,” Livingstone said.

Attendees purchased tickets to be entered in raffles for prizes like tickets to Nantucket with additional relaxation-related gifts, yearlong memberships to museums, restaurant gift cards and VIP Red Sox tickets with a customized jersey. 

Fenway Community Center board members were also in attendance, talking with locals and those new to the area. Kristen Mobilia, one of the board members, has lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years and was a regular at the center before joining the board. 

“It’s an opportunity to celebrate the community center and what we’re trying to do,” Mobilia said. “It’s basically bridging a gap, bringing people together of all ages, all backgrounds, and making sure that we’re creating programming that further weaves the fabric of the community together.”

Since January, the FCC has hosted over 8,000 visitors and offered over 430 programs. Some individuals in the room at Love The Fenway had attended previous events, while others were brand new to the space. 

“We just opened our new branch right here on Boylston Street and we wanted to be a part of the community,” said Hasan Ortik, vice president and market expansion manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co. “We came across the Fenway Community Center, and I reached out to Mallory and they invited us to come and be a part of the event.”

To Rohrig, Love The Fenway is more than a fundraising event for a beloved space in the neighborhood — it’s a commemoration of the year’s work and a chance to make the following year even better. 

“It’s such an amalgam of things in such a tiny footprint,” Rohrig said. “It has institutions, it has art, it has a medical area, it has businesses, it has residents that have been here for decades. It’s all of these different facets that come together to make the neighborhood what it is. And the Fenway Community Center is the heart of the neighborhood.”