By Anne Marie Amacher
A Celebration of Life to benefit pro-life ministries will be held June 10 at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport. Pro-life supporters in the Davenport Deanery and beyond are invited to the second annual event.
The evening will begin with Mass at 5:30 p.m. in St. Paul the Apostle Church, with Bishop Martin Amos presiding, said Charlene Merritt of the Black and White Gala committee. The gala follows from 6:30-9:30 p.m. in Denning Hall.
“We did not have a Mass last year. This is a wonderful addition,” she noted. The Black and White event features an evening of fun, food and frolic, she said. A potato bar, hors d’oeuvres, desserts and beverages will be served.
An array of gift items will be available for bidding at the silent auction. A raffle, sponsored by Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Bettendorf, will benefit the Women’s Choice Center, a pro-life facility. Prizes include a vacation to Branson, Mo., for up to 10 people; gasoline vouchers, gift certificates, Isabel Bloom peace angel and other items.
Although the event is called black and white, it is not a formal-dress attire evening, Merritt said. But participants are encouraged to wear any black and white ensemble to support their “clear black and white decision for life. It created a very chic atmosphere last summer.”
The first gala was held last year at Lourdes in Bettendorf. Merritt said gala volunteers are from various parishes in the area and the plan is to rotate the host site each year. The various volunteers help the hosting parish with the event.
Nearly 200 people attended last year’s event. “A blessed surprise for we were worried we would not fill our parish center,” Merritt said, “but we did.”
The fundraiser last year netted about $4,500. Raffle proceeds benefited ministry at the Women’s Choice Center, Quad-City Right to Life and went toward an award for a Lourdes student for the annual Respect Life poster contest. Some money also was set aside to provide seed money for the annual gala, she noted.
Donations of $15 per person are appreciated. For more information contact Brad Merritt at (563) 529-1820 or email bcmerritt@mchsi.com.
For more information on the raffle, call (563) 210-2143. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and will be available at the gala.