2024 Have a Heart Gala Kentucky Derby presented by

Location has been changed from the Sports Training Center to the Basketball Gym. 

Please use the North Entrance.

Newtown Sports Training Center, 120 Pheasant Run, Newtown, PA 18940

NEW ADDED BONUS FOR FAMILIES
If you are attending the Derby Party you may sign up for….
Free Kids Night Out at NAC from 5pm – 9m   |  Activities, Pizza, Drink, and a Snack included!

We will be supporting and recognizing the work of the NAC Have a Heart Foundation over the past year through the 52K in 52 Weeks initiative which honored a different local charity with a $1,000 donation every week.

Our 52K recipients will be in attendance along with community members and sponsors.  You may invite your family and friends for a wonderful night out as the NAC brings back our longstanding tradition of celebration with an unforgettable Gala to honor you, our members, our community and our Foundation recipients.

The evening’s activities

Derby Betting prior to the race at 6:25pm
Private Screening of the Derby Race at 6:25pm
Fashion Walk
Humanitarian Awards for Member of the Year and Person of the Year
52K Recipient Recognition
Silent and Chance Auction
Mint Juleps
Beer and Wine Bar
Delicious Food Stations from fine local Restaurateurs
DJ Entertainment and Dancing

Thank you to our generous sponsors.

Gala tickets may be purchased here:

$150 per ticket per individual

$1500 per 8 person table with reserved premier placement seating.  Limited reserved premier tables available, RSVP now.  All other seating is open, not reserved.

All proceeds to benefit NAC Have a Heart Foundation.

Your donation purchases your reservation(s).  In the Donation Event Field, please specify DERBY GALA. You will not receive an actual ticket.  Your name and the number in your party will be on a list at reception.  If others in your party arrive separately from you, they should note that the tickets are under your name.

NAC Have a Heart Foundation is an officially recognized 501(c)3 charity which means that your contribution is tax deductible.

Questions?  Contact Linda Mitchell 256-229-1142 or [email protected]

Become a Gala Sponsor and receive  a litany of benefits to promote and position your company in alignment with community service and good corporate citizenship.  Private and personal sponsorships are welcome as well.  We stand with you in supporting our community.

If you wish to discuss a customized sponsorship or have any questions please contact NAC Have a Heart Executive Director, Linda Mitchell at 267-229-1142 or [email protected]  

As an added bonus all auction items are displayed in the NAC lobby for one week prior to the Gala event.  Last year this proved to be a wonderful boost for exposure to the community.

Humanitarian Awards

These awards will be presented at the Gala.

Joe White

The Have a Heart NAC Member of the Year is represented by an individual who, as a NAC member, has displayed consistent generous support for the foundation with their time, monetary contributions, and talents as well as tremendous support of the NAC.

Joe has been a NAC member for over 20 years, born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia to a single mom.  He was fortunate and grateful to be able to attend Catholic School which helped shape who he is as a person.  Joe believes his greatest gifts in life are his family followed by all the wonderful relationships he’s established over his lifetime. He is the proud parent of three children and has a spectacular fantastic off the charts soulmate Lil who’s been by his side.

Joe is an entrepreneur at heart and is the CEO of Thomas Edison Electric.  He volunteers his time and resources for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Catholic Social Services and Make-a-Wish Foundation to name a few and is also a board member of St. Charles Borromeo School.

Joe believes in giving back to the community and making the world around him a better place to live, love, learn, and leave a legacy.  His generous ongoing support of the NAC Have a Heart Foundation and the NAC is boundless and we are forever grateful.

The Have a Heart Person of the Year is represented by a community individual, local business or corporation that has made extraordinary contributions of time, funds, and efforts to the foundation.

Christie Capriotti is a wife and mother of three, a former special education teacher and a Board Certified Behavior Specialist. Children have always had a special place in her heart, and she was immediately drawn to the story of Wes and his mom Nicole. Once she met them and the rest of their family she was in complete awe of their kindness, their openness to allowing me into their lives, and their tremendous Faith. They were and continue to be a true gift to her. She is so grateful for the time I spent with them and for all the wonderful people she met while walking on a very small part of their journey.

Diane Dowler is a wife and a mother of four, devoted to her family and her many causes.  Her faith plays a huge role in her life and her dedication to friends is unmatched.  When her friend Nicole Roche was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2022 and then a month later Nicole’s son Wesley received a cancer diagnosis, it was too much to bear.

Diane enlisted the help of her friend Christie and together they conceived of an event that would be life-changing for Nicole, little Wesley and the Roche family.  In about a month, they envisioned and implemented “Wesley’s Circus” an event designed to bring joy, love and light into Wesley’s life and for the entire family.  This event was held at the NAC who joined with them, their faith community (Crossing Community Church) and the community at large to support the event and raised $50,000 for the Roche family.  Sadly, little Wesley went to be with God in May of last year.  Nicole is still valiantly thriving with her cancer diagnosis and shares her bravery and positive light with the world everyday through social media and more.

Christie Capriotti and Diane Dowler are the selfless architects of this effort to support the Roche family and are mare than deserving of being the NAC Have a Heart Person(s) of the Year.