Irish Gala is a Success!
The St. Anthony and St. Mary Irish Gala was an evening to remember for many reasons — the delicious food, the overwhelming generosity of donors and bidders, the dedication of the volunteers who took on the monumental task of planning this event and ensuring it ran smoothly, and of course, the Irish dancing (I am referring to Bellator Academy dancers, not Fr. Linn and myself.)
What perhaps made the event most memorable, besides the humbling generosity of parishioners from both St. Anthony and St. Mary, and school families, and was the opportunity for fellowship. Thanks to you coming together, we were able to raise $50,000 ($25,000 for each parish) to fund important projects. This includes a digital sign at St. Anthony, which will provide higher visibility to our church and offer a better presentation of our public facing messages; and an upgraded Wi-fi system at St. Mary (school and parish), which is increasingly important as technology advances and we add STEM programs.
Soon, I will have more information to share about the financial outcome of the Gala, but preliminarily I can tell you we have exceeded our goal. We could not have done it without your prayers, your generosity, and your faith. A special thank you to the auction planning committee:
- Jessica MacDowell
- Brenda Burrows
- Christine Courtney
- Katie Fox
- Arin Nguyen (Wen)
- Angie Tappa
- Anne MacGillis
- Terri Kaminski
- Judy & Jim Main
- Aimee Marshall
- Lauren Trautner
- Jenny Nygaard
- Gina Franz
- Sharon Memory
Also, much appreciation to: Nicole Hall, Kristen Latham, St. Mary parents for the great baskets, St. Mary Do-Dads — Don, Rich, Kevin; Bob Graushar, Jerry Mislang, event-day volunteers, donors and attendees who showed up to support our catholic mission in our community.