Faculty, staff, church members, family and friends came out to support St. Ann School at its annual Gala event held at DeSales University April 11.

The Night at the Races and casino games entertained the 200 guests. The gala has been held each year since 2013 and is one of the school’s largest fundraisers.

The evening began with a cocktail hour where attendees enjoyed socializing and purchasing horses and basket raffle tickets.

Vince Tranguch welcomed guests and thanked the numerous sponsors for the event. Monsignor Edward Coyle provided the Invocation. Principal of St. Ann School Beth Shields told the guests that “nights like these are not just for fun and fundraising, but a celebration of who we are and what we stand for.”

Retired Principal Diana Kile presented the Diana Kile Distinguished Educator Award to retired teacher Lucille Emerson.

Emerson began her teaching career in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and then at Donegan Elementary School in Bethlehem. In 1998, she joined the St. Ann faculty and spent 22 years teaching second grade.

Emerson wore many hats at St. Ann School. She served as reading coordinator, home and school faculty representative and Academic Bowl coach. After 35 years, Emerson retired in 2020, but still tutors students at “Turn The Page” children’s learning center in Emmaus and volunteers at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at LVHN.

She is also enjoying being a grandmother for the first time. She shared that she “loved that school is a place where we all learn from one another.”

She added she enjoys running into her former students and hearing of their successes and happiness in life.

Kile described Emerson as being “ahead of her time.”

Before the mandatory virtual learning of the COVID pandemic lockdown in 2020, Emerson had actually structured virtual learning a decade earlier. In the 2011-2012 academic year, Simon Ernst was a student in her second grade classroom. Ernst was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. After the transplant, Ernst could not physically attend school and used a donated iPad to communicate with his teacher and classmates during his recovery.

Emerson created lessons and helped instruct Ernst virtually to keep him on track to move on to third grade with his class.

Ernst is now a senior at Kutztown University and will graduate in May with a degree in marine science. Ernst’s family attended the gala to celebrate Emerson. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the event because he was at Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Virginia, completing a required field study for his degree. Ernst is “grateful and appreciative” of all Mrs. Emerson did for him during his battle with cancer.

Angelo and Maria Tartaglia who joined the St. Ann community 10 years ago, were recognized with Warrior Awards at the event.

“We do what we have to do to help others,” Maria said. Angelo and Maria are visible volunteers at numerous parish and school events. They believe the “smallest acts can make meaningful differences.”

St. Ann graduates Tim Caton and Cecil Sibanda, founders of the Mlomotsha School of Excellence in Zimbabwe, Africa, thanked the St. Ann community for its decade-long support.

Caton shared on recent tests, the school earned a 70% passing score.

“This might not seem like much here,” Caton said. “But in this region,” he explained, “the norm is 0-20%, so 70% is huge. You are a part of a world-class educational institution in this village.”

Three hundred students at Mlomotsha are “Associate Warriors.” Caton reminded the donors that “you helped build this.”

Sibanda said the donated Chromebooks are “big” in the area and that the students love the ability to use them. Sibanda thanked the donors for the hundreds of donated books now housed in the school library.

The students in Zimbabwe are benefiting from the school and asked what they could do for their donors. They decided to name their school buildings for individuals who played an integral part in establishing this school for them. Sibanda acknowledged that the administration building will be named for Coyle. The art center will be named for Shields. The IT center will be named for Kile who was instrumental in raising funds for the students to have laptops. The library will be named for Fred and Pam Caton who organized the book collection.

Sibanda told the audience, “Please continue to help us. Bless you as you bless us.”

Following the presentations, Kelsey Tranguch donated delicious cupcakes for a cupcake pull drawing.

Then it was off to the races! Eight races occurred throughout the night for guests to win “money” to use to purchase tickets for the basket raffle.

Guests could also “win” money playing the casino games for the basket raffle.

A live auction included a weekend getaway at Blue Harmony Chalet in Lake Harmony that raised almost $1,000.

The Holy Hospitality prize included an evening of wine and cheese with up to 10 guests served by Coyle, Shields, Kile and Tranguch at the winner’s home. It also included a blackjack table, dealer and gift card.

The auction was a battle with the price going to $2,500. It was decided that Monsignor’s Team will prepare two events for the final two bidders who would each donate $2,500, for a total of $5,000 raised.

The evening ended with a winner’s circle drawing in which one lucky guest won a cash prize.

The Posey Patch of Macungie donated centerpieces guests could take home for a donation.

The organizing committee of the annual event included Kristen Bogert, Kellyn DeFusco, Holly Heydorn, Diana Kile, Courtney Nace, Katie Page, Judy Schilling, Lisa Schultz, Beth Shields and Kelsey Tranguch.