We are thrilled to welcome Kaitlyn Mahan as the new Coordinator for Party by the Pavilion!
Kaitlyn has kindly stepped into this important role, and her leadership will be key to the success of our parish celebration.

An Introduction from Kaitlyn:

My name is Kaitlyn Mahan and I'm here to introduce myself as the coordinator of this year's Party by the Pavillion fundraiser. As some of you may know, Alex Baca who launched and organized Party by the Pavillion for the past two years, will be moving in the coming weeks. We extend our best wishes to Alex and family as they begin this new chapter.

Although Alex may be short in stature, she has certainly left some big shoes to fill. I am grateful for her efforts to make the party by the pavilion a resounding success for the past two years and I’m hopeful that with the support of our church community this year will be no different. 

For those of you who don’t know me, you can usually find me sitting with my family in the choir section at the 11:30 am Mass each week. My husband and I are usually passing our 7-month-old daughter back and forth while our 7- and 9-year-old sons try to keep her smiling so everyone can hear Father's homilies. I'm sure if you’ve ever attended that Mass you've heard baby Arabella attempting to sing with the choir, we think she’s cute even if she’s off key. 

While I never would have imagined I'd be coordinating our parish's largest fundraiser as a working mom of three, I don't doubt that God has led me to this position for a reason. Throughout my life He's granted me opportunities to develop the skills needed to coordinate an event like this, and perhaps more importantly He's given me a son who regularly asks, “How long until the church party with the bouncy house?”

And while my husband can attest that I'm never really content unless I have a lot on my plate, I do humbly ask that any of you who have the talents, experience or community connections that might make this event a success, please introduce yourself to me or attend next weekend's Ministry Fair and join the party's helper list. I'd love to be able to reach out to Alex this fall and let her know that the Party at the Pavilion accomplished its goal by bringing even more of our church community together, having a great time and hopefully raising as much, if not more, funds to support the ministry our church does for our local community. 

For those of you who have attended the past two years, you already know what a great event it is. For those of you who haven't, I hope you join us for an evening of great live music, delicious food, family friendly activities and community. I'll be up here in the coming months with additional announcements leading up to the event. In the meantime, please mark your calendars for Saturday, October 17th. You are officially invited to the 3rd Annual Party by the Pavilion, and I look forward to seeing you there.

Dear Friends,  

I’m excited to share the final numbers from this year’s Party by the Pavilion. Last year, our net revenue was $25,830. This year, I set what felt like a very bold goal: $42,000 in total revenue with a $12,000 budget. And while we didn’t quite hit that goal, what we accomplished was incredible. This year, we brought in $40,747 and spent $11,344, giving us a net revenue of $29,403 — our highest fundraiser yet. 

That is because this parish continues to show up, give generously, and work together in the most beautiful way. And while I may have been the one up here asking for help and organizing the pieces, this only happens because of all of you. Parishioners showed up in so many little ways that made the night possible. 

From everyone who donated drinks and food, to the Knights of Columbus who helped me bring over 500 chairs from MWR the day before the event and then came right back on Monday morning to help me take them all back, to the Columbiettes, who baked and donated so many delicious cupcakes and desserts.

And of course, all our sponsors, those who cooked and served the food, the volunteers who showed up early, stayed late, sold tickets, painted faces, and everyone who said “yes” every time I asked for help, all of those that showed up with their families, or invited a friend.

A special thank you to Ivonne Mendez and Carlos Betancourt, Jessica Tyus, Zac Cannon, all of the Parish staff and Father Arturo for all their help with all the planning. This event was successful because this parish loves each other and serves each other so well.

And if you’ll allow me one quick personal note…

Almost three years ago, I had just moved back to Fayetteville. I did a Catholic book study with a few women from the parish, and I asked them to pray for me to help me find a way to use my gifts for God and for this community. About a month later, Father Arturo came to me and said, “I have this idea… we’re going to plan a big party.” 

Now let me be very clear: party planning is not one of my gifts. I had never planned a fundraiser or anything close to this in my life. But what I do love is creating community. And through this event, God has shown me other gifts I didn’t know I had, and He has allowed me to meet so many incredible people in this parish, people I may have never had the chance to know otherwise.

As God and the Army would have it, my family and I will be relocating to Washington, D.C. next summer. So being able to serve this parish in this way, even for a short time, has been one of the greatest blessings of my life here. 

Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for helping me. Thank you for loving this parish the way you do. And thank you for making Party by the Pavilion a reminder of what community, generosity, and God’s goodness look like in action.

Sincerely,

Alex Baca

​Event Organizer

Dear Friends,

I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for making the Party by the Pavilion such a fantastic night! It was truly incredible to see our whole parish come together—from the littlest kids running on the inflatable obstacle course to their parents and even grandparents enjoying the music and catching up with friends. Seeing so many smiling faces in one place was something really special. 

When we started this, we didn’t really have a set fundraising goal because the parish has never done anything like this and we weren’t sure about the participation... But after we decided on the raffle prizes, we knew we needed to bring in more than enough to cover all the prizes and any other expenses—and hopefully make a good profit for the parish. 

I told Father my personal goal was for the Parish to sell 3,000 raffle tickets, and I promised I’d help get us there even if I had to stand outside after every Mass with balloons! Well… we sold 3,017 tickets, totaling $12,070!! 

But the real surprise came from our sponsors. I thought getting sponsors would take some convincing, more than just balloons and a smile in the Gathering Area—but wow, was I wrong. The response from parishioners after my first announcement at mass was immediate and overwhelmingly generous. We had about 30 sponsors, donating a total of $16,271—and that’s not including all the food and drinks that were donated. Speaking of which, everything we served that night was completely donated by families, individuals, and businesses. 

Our food sales brought in an additional $5,088, and when we add it all up, we brought in a grand total of $33,429. After covering expenses, which came to $8,237, I am thrilled to announce that we made a profit of approximately $25,192 for the parish! 

But more than the numbers, what really stood out was the joy that night. It wasn’t just about raising money—it was about coming together as a parish family. Seeing everyone laughing, dancing, and simply enjoying each other’s company was the real success of the night. 

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event happen—from the volunteers and planners to the sponsors and every single person who came out to support the event. We would especially like to thank Ivonne Mendez and Carlos Betancourt- who took the lead in organizing all of the food vendors, Kate Kane, and Beth O’Leary- the Parish Life Coordinator for all of their help with planning and preparing, and the rest of the Parish Staff- Jason Schauer, Carol Johnson, Rinny Stephens, and Deacon Steve. And one final shout out to our platinum sponsors: Larry and Fran Iwanski, BC Associates Marketing, Beverly Cornell and Family, and Dr. John and Mrs. Catherine Pollard. I am so grateful to be part of this community, and this night was proof of what we can do when we come together.

Sincerely,

Alex Baca
Event Organizer