Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle celebrates 90 years with anniversary gala

Brianna Maestas, Amarillo Globe-News
·2 min read

Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle (CCTXP) will celebrate 90 years with their anniversary gala Saturday, Aug. 20, from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, located at 4100 S. Coulter St.

The anniversary gala, chaired by the Honorary Chairman Paul Engler, begins with hors d’oeuvres during the meet and greet, followed by dinner served at 7:30 p.m. catered by Macaroni Joe's. The evening will include a live and silent auction, casino style gambling, a photo booth, and live entertainment with Patrick Swindell and Esquire Jazz.

According to Jeff Gulde, the Executive Director of CCTXP, there is fun for everyone who attends, including an assortment of games such as their crowd favorite ring toss in the duck pond for a bottle of wine.

Ariele Runquillo, Kaci Willburn from Holy Cross Catholic Academy and Dave Kruonick load boxes food, personal items and books in the back of a truck during the The Alliance to Defeat Hunger at Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle on Thursday morning.
Ariele Runquillo, Kaci Willburn from Holy Cross Catholic Academy and Dave Kruonick load boxes food, personal items and books in the back of a truck during the The Alliance to Defeat Hunger at Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle on Thursday morning.

"We are really excited to get to celebrate being able to serve the community for the past 90 years. We were created back in the 30's to address social issues, and unfortunately those issues are still with us today, but we are blessed to be able to serve for as long as we can and help everyone. We can and look forward to helping more in the future," Gulde said.

Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle was established by then-Bishop Rudolph A. Gerken, the first Bishop of Amarillo, on Aug. 15, 1932.  The name, along with the leadership, has adapted to best fit the needs of our community. In 2012, the organization took the name Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle and now serves individuals across the Panhandle with its food pantry, refugee program, ESL classes, and more.

Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle celebrates 90th anniversary with their fundraiser Gala held Aug. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. located at St. Thomas the Apostle Church to raise funds to support community members and refugees through programs like their food pantry.
Catholic Charities of the Texas Panhandle celebrates 90th anniversary with their fundraiser Gala held Aug. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. located at St. Thomas the Apostle Church to raise funds to support community members and refugees through programs like their food pantry.

"If people need help, they always help them, regardless of their circumstances or religion, and that is why I like being involved with the organization," said Julie Pierce, longtime volunteer for CCTXP.

"They have been doing this and helping people for 90 years, and hopefully it will go on forever," Pierce said. "Their goal is to help people and feed (them), and give warmth and help them learn English if they come from a foreign country. That is why this event is so important; we get to celebrate 90 years of people before us and another 90 for those to come."

The funds raised from this celebration will return to the organization to help fund their programs and community needs across the Texas Panhandle. Gulde said the organization hopes to raise $75,000 with this event to support their cause throughout the year.

Ticket pricing for the event is $90 for an individual ticket and $100 for two tickets, and tickets are limited. For additional information about the celebration or to purchase a ticket, please call Catholic Charities at 806-376-4571.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Catholic Charities celebrates 90 years with anniversary gala