“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi, 1869
Service and Commitment to Justice is one of the six tenets of the profile of the Jesuit student at graduation. Jesuit has many clubs and service organizations that fulfill that commitment. Held at the Hilton Anatole right outside downtown Dallas on January 11, 2020, The Bishop’s Gala was one of the many projects Key Club, a junior service club, intended to and ultimately did tackle this school year. Fifteen students were excited to get dressed up and serve on this pleasant occasion. Here’s how the gala went:
The Event
Jesuit Dallas served alongside other schools/organizations such as Ursuline Academy and Catholic Charities in Dallas to make this a memorable event for all who came. The biggest things come from the smaller parts working together in unison, and Jesuit students did a variety of small jobs to help make the grand event come together. For example, Michael Sowell ’21 remarked that “it consisted of me and other students greeting and helping participants go where they were supposed to be.”
Luis Osorio ’21 also recollected the event, saying, “At the Gala, we all had to check-in and wait for further information. We were then split into various groups and trained based on the specific tasks of each group. My group was focused on directing the visitors and walking them to their check-in location.”
As adults came to show their support for Catholic Charities, they also got enjoy the festivities of the evening. They held a raffle and a small concert where couples could dance with each other. Jesuit Dallas students, up to the task, also helped out with some of the more well-known aspects of the gala. Chadd Auletta said, “We went around to a lot of the guests at the gala and entered them in a raffle using our iPads. Participants could win 3 huge prizes, including a culinary trip. Another thing we had to do was go around and enter people in a coin flip contest, where the winner would get another prize.”
Student Opinions
“It was fun to meet new people, especially those who care about Catholic Charities!” -Chadd Auletta ’21, Key Club Member
“The Bishop’s Gala was an amazing and fulfilling experience. I thought it was one of the
nice and more enjoyable service projects, especially working with my fellow key club members and the kind workers at the Gala.” -Michael Sowell ’21, Key Club Vice-President
“I thought the Gala was an interesting experience. It was very enjoyable because we got to meet different people there and got to serve our community. The staff that organized everything were very kind and helpful.” -Luis Osorio ’21, Key Club President
Conclusion
The reviews are in. The Gala was entertaining for everyone alike, especially Jesuit students who served at the event. Let’s see what Key Club has in store for the rest of the year!
Check out Drew Mertino’s video(https://ccdallas.org/bishops-gala/) covering the event! The video quality is fantastic!
And as always, stay tuned to The Roundup for more coverage on Key Club!
