Previous Gala Events

The Seventh Annual Friends of Saint Francis Gala was held on March 4, 2023 at the Drury Plaza Hotel Cape Girardeau Conference Center. The event featured:

• Live entertainment from 12 South Band and dancing
• A delicious plated dinner and open bar
• A fabulous live auction and other fun activities

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The Seventh Annual Friends Gala Raises More Than $323,000 for Saint Francis Foundation

The Seventh Annual Friends Gala event was held Saturday, March 4 at Drury Plaza Conference Center, and raised a record-breaking $323,000 plus for Saint Francis Foundation.

Stacy Huff, Executive Director of Saint Francis Foundation, said of the event, “The money and resources we raise during the Friends Gala will provide hope and healing to thousands of cardiac and cancer patients undergoing treatment at Saint Francis over the coming year, helping them to regain optimal health after a major life event. The needs in our community are tremendous, so the outpouring of support is deeply appreciated.”

Contributions raised each year benefit the CancerCare and CardiacCare funds offered through Saint Francis Foundation. The CardiacCare fund provides assistance with cardiac rehabilitation and other necessary services and equipment for patients unable to afford them. The CancerCare fund helps cancer patients in need with nutritional supplements, medicine, transportation and lodging.

“Generous sponsors and volunteers make The Friends Gala possible, and we are truly humbled by their commitment and support,” said Nicole Nguyen, Gala Chair; Lindsay Bingaman, The Friends President and Gala Co-Chair and Christy Farrow, Gala Co-Chair.

The Sixth Annual Friends of Saint Francis Gala was held on March 5, 2022 at the Drury Plaza Hotel Cape Girardeau Conference Center. The event featured:

• Live entertainment from Platinum Rock Legends and dancing
• A delicious plated dinner and open bar
• A fabulous live auction and other fun activities

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The Sixth Annual Friends Gala Raises More Than $260,000 for Saint Francis Foundation

The Sixth Annual Friends Gala event was held Saturday, March 5, at Drury Plaza Conference Center, and raised more than $260,000 for Saint Francis Foundation. The 2022 event marked the first in-person Friends Gala in two years.

Jimmy Wilferth, Vice President of Marketing and Foundation, said of the event, “The money and resources we raise during the Friends Gala provides not only the much needed rehab, medicine, equipment and general finances necessary to regain optimal health after a major life event, it provides hope and the expectation of a positive outcome. It breeds strength to fight and believe like never before, and we sincerely thank all who made this possible.”

Contributions raised each year benefit the CancerCare and CardiacCare funds offered through the Foundation. The CardiacCare fund provides assistance with cardiac rehabilitation and other necessary services and equipment for patients unable to afford them. The CancerCare fund helps cancer patients in need with nutritional supplements, medicine, transportation and lodging.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 in-person event was replaced by an online auction.

The fifth annual Friends of Saint Francis Gala was held on March 7, 2020 at the Drury Plaza Hotel Cape Girardeau Conference Center. The event featured:

• Live entertainment from Platinum Rock Legends and dancing
• A delicious plated dinner and open bar
• A fabulous live auction and other fun activities

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The 2020 Friends Gala Raises More Than $315,000 for Saint Francis Foundation

The fifth annual Friends Gala on March 7 at the Drury Plaza Hotel Cape Girardeau Conference Center raised more than $315,000 for the Saint Francis Foundation.

The event drew nearly 500 attendees with more than 20 volunteers on hand to help.

“The money and resources we raise during the Gala provides not only the much needed rehab, medicine, equipment and general finances necessary to regain optimal health after a major life event, it provides hope,” said Jimmy Wilferth, Vice President of Marketing and Foundation at Saint Francis Healthcare System. “Hope is the expectation of a positive outcome, and it breeds strength to fight and believe like never before. Then is when healing has the upper hand.”

Contributions raised at The Friends Gala benefit the CancerCare and CardiacCare funds offered through Saint Francis Foundation. The CardiacCare fund provides assistance with cardiac rehabilitation and other necessary services and equipment for patients unable to afford them. The CancerCare fund helps cancer patients in need with nutritional supplements, medicine, transportation and lodging. More than $522,000 has been provided to more than 10,000 cancer patients and more than $247,000 to nearly 500 cardiac patients over the past four years.

The fourth annual Friends Gala was held on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Isle Casino Event Center in Cape Girardeau. The event featured:

• Live entertainment and dancing
• A delicious plated dinner and open bar
• A fabulous live auction and other fun activities

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The 2019 Saint Francis Friends Gala Raises over $320,000: Funds will be used to benefit patient-assistance and child-education programs

In March, the Saint Francis Foundation held their annual Friends Gala, garnering donations and pledges which now total more than $320,000.

Almost 400 attendees turned out for the third annual event, held at the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, and with an initial fundraising goal of $200,000, the event proved to be even more successful than anticipated. The funds raised will finance three of the Saint Francis Foundation’s programs, the CardiacCare fund, the CancerCare fund and the GoNoodle Children’s fund.

The Friends’ CardiacCare funds provide essential help to patients facing cardiac rehabilitation by covering costs for necessary services and equipment that patients may otherwise be unable to afford. The CancerCare helps patients pay for a wide variety of needs, including nutritional supplements, medicine, transportation and lodging, depending on patients’ situation.

The GoNoodle Children’s fund provides access to curriculum that emphasizes movement and mindfulness through video content designed to stimulate children’s brains and bodies. The program serves nearly 35,000 students in 133 elementary schools across 14 Southeast Missouri counties.

The Friends of Saint Francis have already put some of the funds raised at the Gala to good use by donating nearly 1,200 “Hope Bags” containing items including journals, pens, blankets, water bottles, ChapStick, digital blood pressure cuffs and digital scales for patients in need.

The third annual Friends Gala was held on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Isle Casino Event Center in Cape Girardeau.

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The second Friends of Saint Francis Gala was held on Saturday, March 4, at Isle Casino Event Center in Cape Girardeau, with more than 325 people in attendance at the sold-out event. The current total raised is $178,000 (with some funds still coming in), far above the goal of $125,000.

The event featured:

• Live entertainment and dancing
• A plated dinner and open bar
• A fabulous Live auction and other event enhancers

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Mike Renick Band

A pre-entertainment acoustic set was from Mike Renick of the Mike Renick Band.

Playing the Southeast Missouri scene since 2005, the Mike Renick Band is a blend of jazz, funk, and rock…all rolled up into rhythmic driven, toe-tapping grooves. If you’re looking for great stage energy and are ready to dance, you’ve got the perfect fit with the Mike Renick Band.

Hello Weekend

The headline entertainment was from Hello Weekend!

Hello Weekend takes audiences to a whole new level. Not only with their incomparable style and sound but also by performing today’s biggest chart topping hits and recreating them flawlessly. Be it Pitbull, Bieber, Rihanna, Gaga, the newest song out or that one song that you can’t seem to get out of your head, Hello Weekend will definitely have you singing along and wanting more. One of the newest cover bands to hit Chicago, Hello Weekend has had the opportunity to perform at some of the city’s greatest stages (House of Blues, Cubby Bear, etc). This group not only wows you with their infectious stage personalities, but they’re sure to light up your event with great music, bold colors, and…oh yea, don’t forget about selfies with Bob the Bunny! You’re sure to have an amazing time that will leave you and your party goers shouting “Hello weekend”…even if it is just a Tuesday!

When members of The Friends of Saint Francis were brainstorming ideas for a signature event to kick off the year, the creation of a black-tie event emerged as an ideal alternative to the highly successful golf events for which the organization has made its mark.

The inaugural Friends Gala, held March 5 at the Isle Casino Event Center in Cape Girardeau, was a rousing success. The social event featured live entertainment and a fabulous dinner.

A sold-out room of 236 guests generously contributed more than $107,000 in donations that will enhance the impact The Friends is having in our community. Saint Francis Healthcare System appreciates the work of our Gala Planning Committee and the overwhelming support of the Saint Francis community.

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