I attended a Forward Foundation fundraiser event for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised. The location was easy to get to. There was plenty of parking and the decor was appropriate for the event. The only pet peaves I have is with the beverage and food vendors (I don't know if they were in house). The lines for the bars were slow and long. We also had to chase the elusive servers to get an appetizer and boy was I hungry. I would definitely recommend it for an event. I enjoyed the event. It was a good time for a good cause. read more

Acca Temple Shrine - Fundraiser - Richmond, Virginia

Every Event that I have attended at the ACCA Temple, over the past 20 years, has been well organized and a good time for me.

I had my wedding here 8.4.18 and this was the worst location I could have selected. We booked the venue 11 months in advance. About five months before the wedding, I inquired about renting the stage skirt I had seen, and that's when I found out the employee (Pete) that I completed my contract with was no longer there. We were given a completely new price and told new information regarding set up. Five days prior to my wedding an email was sent that there was not food allowed on the stage. A huge part of my set up was centered on the stage because the bride and groom table was there, and I knew people who sat on the stage and ate when they got married in 2017. We were told by the employee Shannon that it was in a specific section in the contract. We emailed her our signed contact and after discovering it wasn't in there Shannon said that it was in the new contract (that we never received) and that she would make this "one time exception." The floor plan had been submitted via email prior to my event for set up. I spent 20 minutes on the phone explaining the floor plan in great detail, and my contract stated I could arrive at 8:30am Friday to set up and the floor plan would be completed. I arrived at 8:30am to find the set up was not only incomplete, it was also improperly set up. I went back to see Shannon and another older woman and explained to them that the set up was not complete and the tables that were out were in the wrong location. Shannon told me that the employee who was setting the tables up would be in soon to finish. I asked why it wasn't complete because it was in my contract. She again told me that he would be there soon to finish, and that I could start with what was already in there. I again explained that the tables needed to be moved, then I reiterated that it should have been ready because I called the day before and it was in my contract. Shannon then told me, "Hey! You can lose the attitude! I said he would be here shortly!" I immediately walked out of the room, and I called my mother in law. She called and spoke with Shannon and about an hour later she came out to go over my ENTIRE floor plan again! We did not finish setting up and inquired about extra time and was told there would be a fee of another $20 an hour. She did not and would not take the fact that they caused a 3 hour delay into consideration. The venue also looked a COMPLETE MESS. When I arrived all of the vanity mirror stools from the women's bathrooms were removed. Every rug and picture had been removed so the carpet was filthy and full of stains and the walls were dirty and missing paint. They said the renovations were early the next morning so they had to move everything. Then they also told me that I did not pay for the stage skirt when I had the contract that said I did. After going back and forth with them they brought out a dingy, stained faded stage skirt that I had never seen before. I told them that was not the stage skirt we paid for and they said it was. I pointed out that it was so dirty that it didn't look white it looked yellow and the older lady rolled her eyes and said she would look for another. She came back with another dirty stage skirt with lace, but I was forced to settle. I came back the day of my wedding at 7 am after paying $40 for extra time and my entire day was thrown off. Thankfully I had family and friends to help me set up and try to finish decorating. read more

Ken Mcspadden and Ms Mcspadden are drivers for acca shriners. Ken didn't want to get me Food at the hospital even tho he had said he was going to. Instead wanted me to share a tray of food I can't eat with my son. His wife Ms Mcspadden rudely interrupted a phone call I was having with a now witness that was a conversation about my disabled child and I's experience in the doctors office as if she was in there. Due to Covid rules I was only allowed in with my child. Ken has also have been recorded saying He is willing to lie on me to keep his job and said such things with hostility in front of my mom, son, and boyfriend who was on the phone. All in the van. We all had a very strange unprofessional yelling match in the vehicle causing my anxiety and spasms to appear. I started to fear for my life. Bill Ferguson said I had to stay in the van until they drop me back off from Philadelphia to Virginia. read more