A Night to Remember

A Cause to Support

A Legacy of LOVE

"Cupid's Garden"
Friends of Saint Catherine Gala 2024

This is it: Your personal invitation to a glamorous evening of fine dining, delicious drinks, and dancing!

Our annual Friends of St. Catherine’s Gala is the perfect way to warm up your winter and celebrate Valentine’s Day with your loved one– while showing your love for the children of St. Catherine Laboure School in suburban Harrisburg.

For more than two decades, the St. Catherine Laboure Gala has dazzled our 300-plus guests as the signature event of our school family of 1,200 students strong.

Please help us create new memories! Join us for an exquisite evening of sumptuous food and drink, a dance floor that is always full, and countless opportunities to donate to a cause with immediate impact.

Our gala’s live and silent auction items have included precious jewelry, luxurious vacation homes, a full kitchen makeover, a complete orthodontic package, one-of-a-kind sports, music and movie memorabilia, and so much more! And our raffle prize is always a coveted treasure that draws oohs and aahs.

The best part of the evening is our guests – beautiful people who don their finest attire and know how to celebrate in style. They also know how to support each other long after the party’s over.

Christian Matthew McNaughton

This hallmark event was launched in 2000 to honor the brief but meaningful life of Christian Matthew McNaughton, a 4-year-old preschooler at St. Catherine’s who passed away suddenly in 1997 after an unsuccessful surgery for hydrocephalus. The son of former state Rep. Mark McNaughton, Sr. and Diane McNaughton, Christian’s favorite place on earth was preschool. He also loved Batman, baseball, whales, Power Rangers, dolphins, and dressing up in play costumes with his brother, two sisters, and classmates.

Over the past 23 years, our fundraising gala has honored his life, loves and legacy and raised more than $1 million for the school—for scholarships, computers, playground equipment, new carpeting, upgraded bathrooms, fresh paint, building improvements, a gym floor, and more.

Please join us to immerse yourself in a Valentine’s Day to remember, while remembering a very small superhero with a larger-than-life legacy of living and giving!

This year, our Gala Committee includes these incredible volunteers:

Meghan McNaughton Wagner, Co-chair
Marcia Lampman, Esq., Co-chair

Bethany Sidella
Mark McNaughton, Sr.
Diane McNaughton
Kelly McNaughton Kotz
Dr. Jen Pyne
Jenn McNaughton
Leah Adams
Wendy Grella
Marisa Cohan
Katie Conroy
Ashley McCahan
Amanda Koch
KC Torta

Mary-Eileen Dick
Jen Eisenhauer
Megan Fackler
Daisy Pagan
Rebecca Schmitt
Katie Zapcic
Camryn Krovic Rosario
Erin Parrish
Brandy Paige
Melissa Cravitz
Ashley Surgeoner
Dr. Mark McNaughton, Jr.
Dr. Ivana Marji McNaughton

Our Team

We are so incredibly blessed by our amazing team! We are attorneys, accountants, homebuilders, doctors and nurses, writers, business leaders, teachers, full-time moms and dads, government officials and more.

Everyone on the gala committee through the years has brought the power of their connections, combined with a generous heart.

Do you have a knack for decorating? A business or craft you want to showcase? Please join us on the committee! We need you!

Please email GalaCommittee123@gmail.com if you want to get involved or donate an auction item, place an ad, or buy a gala ticket or table.

Corporate Sponsorship Packages

Entertainment Sponsor ($5,000)

Premier reserved seating for one table of ten (10 guests) at the Gala;
Recognized as the exclusive sponsor of the entertainment (or other options approved by the Gala Chairs)
Includes corporate name displayed on all prominent signage throughout event
Full (back) page advertisement and recognition in the Gala program book
Recognition on Gala signage
Inclusion on the Friends of St. Catherine Laboure Gala website and social media pages
Sponsorship Reservation must be received by December 31, 2023

Friend of St. Catherine Sponsor ($2,500)

Reserved seating for one table of ten (10 guests) at the Gala
Recognized as a sponsor(s) of one of the following elements of your choice: evening’s décor, specialty bar or other options approved by the Gala Chairs, includes, but is not limited to, corporate name displayed on prominent signage throughout event
Full page advertisement and recognition in the Gala program book
Recognition on Gala signage
Inclusion on the Friends St. Catherine Laboure Gala website and social media pages
Sponsorship reservation must be received by December 31, 2023

Royal Sponsor ($1,500)

Reserved seating for one table of ten (10 guests) at the Gala
Full page advertisement and recognition in the Gala program book
Recognition on Gala signage
Inclusion on the Friends St. Catherine Laboure Gala website and social media pages

Blue Sponsor ($1,000)

Reserved seating for one table of eight (8 guests) at the Gala
Half-page advertisement and recognition in the Gala program book
Recognition on Gala signage
Inclusion on the Friends St. Catherine Laboure Gala website and social media pages

White Sponsor ($600)

Reserved seating for four (4 guests) at the Gala
Half-page advertisement and recognition in the Gala program book
Recognition on Gala signage
Inclusion on the Friends St. Catherine Laboure Gala website and social media pages

Advertising Opportunities

Business/Individual Program Advertising Opportunities

Full-Page Ad (5″ wide x 7.75 ” deep) $ 300
Half-Page Ad (5″ wide x 3.75 ” deep) $ 150
Quarter-Page Ad (2.5″ wide x 3.75 ” deep) $ 75

Tickets

Individual & Couple Gala Tickets

Individual Gala Tickets ($125) ($110 if purchased by 12/31/23)
Couple Gala Tickets ($250) ($220 if purchased by 12/31/23)

Sponsorship & Ticket PDF Form

You can place your corporate sponsorships & orders online using the buttons above.

Old school? Here’s a PDF form you can use to place your orders.

Make a Donation

It is fast and easy to donate. You can donate an item for a gift basket, or give a simple cash or in-kind donation. Gifts are tax-deductible, to the fullest extent of the law. Advertisers and sponsors are also welcome.

Item Donation

You can donate an item for our live or silent auctions.

Cash Donation

Please mail your donation to

Friends of St. Catherine
4020 Derry St, Harrisburg, PA 17111

Our Heartfelt Thanks

It is often said that the highest appreciation can best be expressed, not in words, but in action. Every day, we offer both. We thank everyone for making this gala such an incredible success for 20-plus years. No donation or good deed has ever been too small.

Everyone from gala guests and advertisers, to auction donors, teachers, and basket-makers, have reminded us that people are good, and the heartaches of life can be endured if we face them together.

More profoundly, we want to thank you for keeping the memory of a 4-year-old boy alive. We are sure Christian is giving you his trademark thumbs-up and waiting to thank you in heaven.

Frequently Answered Questions

Do you accept Paypal & credit cards?

Yes, we make it easy to donate.

Are donations tax deductible?

Yes, we are part of the school and church community.

Can I stay overnight?

The Hilton Harrisburg has been a valued partner for two decades. They offer discounted room rates to our guests, so you can celebrate safely. Enjoy breakfast in the Hilton’s premier eateries the next morning.

I can't come, but how can I send in a Donation?

Write out a check to:

Friends of Saint Catherine Labouré
4000 Derry Street
Harrisburg, PA 17111

How it All Began

The St. Catherine Laboure Gala burst onto that scene in 2001 with a “Phantom of the Opera” theme that wowed every guest. Every year, the gala seems to have gotten bigger, with more guests, auction items and dollars raised. Other themes have included Hollywood’s red carpet, Parisian flair, and Great Gatsby Roaring 20s themes.

Our 2024 Sponsors

McNaughton Homes

More Coming Soon

What Should I wear?

Dress is black-tie optional. Most women wear long evening gowns. Short cocktail dresses are also appropriate. Men are not required to wear tuxedos, though some do wear more formal attire.