ON SATURDAY, FEB. 22, Catholic Charities of Orange County (CCOC) will celebrate its 35th annual Mardi Gras fundraiser with a gala at the Pasèa Resort and Spa in Huntington Beach.
The much-anticipated black-tie event draws 300-400 people each year and is the largest fundraiser for Catholic Charities.
This year’s event is a tribute to the Diaconate of Orange for their outstanding service in the local community and the work they do in collaboration with Catholic Charities of Orange County. The setting at Pasèa Resort is new for Mardi Gras, where a sweeping ocean view forms the background for the festivities. The event will include several Mardi Gras staples, including a parade and stilt walkers. Guests will also enjoy dancing to the Luke Carson band and bid on exciting live auction items.
Catholic Charities of Orange County is an independent and a stand-alone 501(c) 3. It aids residents only within the county lines and is not involved with providing respite centers or other services as agencies located on the U.S./ Mexico border. Catholic Charities of Orange County assists people with a legal path to citizenship and who reside in Orange County. The Orange County chapter was established in 1976, well before the Diocese of Orange was formed out of the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
In the 49 years since then, CCOC has been an integral part of Orange County’s nonprofit social service network—which also includes mental health assistance, through the New Hope Counseling Services and the largest food pantry in Orange County, the Cantlay Food Distribution Center. New Hope offers quality mental health for families and schools.
Catholic Charities counseling team is currently implementing the human dignity curriculum in local Catholic schools. The program focuses on the truth that all people are made in the image and likeness of God and have an inherent human dignity given to them by God. Students learn to keep their minds and bodies healthy and safe and strive for human excellence. The program explains and reinforces the pro-life message absent from public schools. The Mardi Gras gala’s main goal is to help raise funds to expand the Human Dignity Curriculum to more schools in the Diocese.
“Today when children face a variety of pressures from academic stress to social media it is crucial to prioritize their mental health,” expressed Ellen Roy, executive director of Catholic Charities of Orange County. “This is why Catholic Charities of Orange County has implemented the Human Dignity Curriculum by the World Youth Alliance to promote the intrinsic value of each individual, empowering the youth to understand and respect their dignity as well as others.”
Individual tickets are $300; sponsorships are still available and the purchase of a separate ticket for a priest or deacon enables clergy to attend. For more information, please contact Mariajose Garorti, director of Communications and Development, at [email protected]