Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are now available for the Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville’s annual fundraiser rebranded to “El Festival de Esperanza, presented by First Horizon.” The event will begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, at Saint Elle, 1420 3rd Avenue South, in Nashville.
The event, which is a revamping of the annual Pathways to Possibilities fundraiser, will officially kick off the celebration of Catholic Charities’ 60th anniversary coming up in July as it commemorates the program that started it all.
“Besides the energy of a Cuban culture-infused party, we will commemorate the earliest days of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville, when our first program was the resettlement of 43 Cuban children fleeing for safety from their homeland, as political tensions rose to dangerous levels in 1962,” according to sponsorship materials. “Then as now, guided by our motto – love, hope, healing – Catholic Charities placed the children with foster families in Middle Tennessee until they could be reunited with their families. Now safe and sound 60 years later, several of those children will join us at El Festival to share their story of hope first-hand.”
The event will feature authentic Cuban food, drink, music and dance by professional Casino Rueda dance group Nashville Rueda, accompanied by Giovanni Rodriguez and 12 Manos, an authentic Cuban band. Festive, colorful dress is encouraged.
The menu will include tapas, paella, Cubano sandwiches, ropa vieja, lechon asado, flan merengue, and bunuelos, which will be served at individual stations throughout the venue.
There will also be several activities available including a professional cigar roller, dominoes, and photo opportunities with a vintage automobile.
Tickets are $125 per person and available for purchase at https://cctenn.org/el-festival/. Individuals can also sponsor Catholic Charities clients with a ticket purchase or transfer their ticket to someone if they are unable to attend. Tickets are nonrefundable. Additionally, 80 percent of the event ticket is tax deductible.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Ranging from $500 to $30,000, sponsorships are customizable to meet the needs of each sponsor. Perks of sponsoring the event include reserved seating, ad opportunities in the Tennessee Register, recognition in the Commemorative 60th Anniversary Book, access to VIPs and more. For more information, e-mail Jess Regan, Catholic Charities sponsorship manager, at jregan@cctenn.org, or call 629-702-0048.
Each guest and donor will receive a copy of the Commemorative 60th Anniversary Book, which will feature full-page portraits of 35 “graduates” of the many programs of Catholic Charities as well as essays about the various programs and the people served.
All proceeds benefit Catholic Charities ministries and programs.
“As a leading social services provider, we serve our neighbors regardless of faith tradition, with a staff from many religious backgrounds – not just Catholic. Only 5 percent of our revenue is provided by the diocese and church donations. Financial support from corporations, foundations and individuals is critical to meeting the needs,” said Judy Orr, Catholic Charities executive director. “We serve more than 25,000 people annually throughout Middle Tennessee. The past two years have really demonstrated our expertise in helping people navigate the devastation of a tornado and a bombing disaster, the losses due to the pandemic, and most recently the trauma of evacuation from a country across the world.”
“With our promise of ‘love, hope and healing,’ we provide food, shelter and emergency assistance every day. We also offer specialized support for those who need it,” the sponsorship materials explain. “Always our goal is to provide the tools that people need to thrive and be self-reliant – counseling, therapy and resource navigation, as well as job readiness, mentoring and skills training.”
“We hope people will generously support Catholic Charities by participating in this celebration, which promises to be a really fun night,” Orr said, “while also truly helping so many of our neighbors needing a hand up during these difficult times.”
For more information, visit https://cctenn.org/el-festival/.
