Caritas Scholarship Celebration - University of St. Francis Caritas Scholarship Celebration 69th Annual Caritas Scholarship Celebration Saturday, April 25, 2026 For nearly 70 years, the annual Caritas Scholarship Celebration has served as the primary fundraiser for University of St. Francis scholarships. Caritas helps  to make a college education possible for so many bright students… many who are the first in their family to attend college. Each year, USF provides them with millions of dollars in institutional support, which helps  students who would not be able to obtain a college degree without financial assistance. The Caritas 2026 Committee Hosts: Ryan & Tece Hendrickson Committee Members: Tanisha & David Cannon | Diane Cepela | Rosie & Cesar Cardenas | Michelle & Terry Cottrell | Nick D’Arcy | Sue & Terry D’Arcy | Abigail Gomulkiewicz | Annette Jelinek | Suzi & Gordon Marsh | Amy & Ken Mihelich | Dawne & Dan Mihelich | Steph & Tyler Qualio | Jodi & Scott Schager | Gina & Brian Sharp | Wilhelmine & John Vidmar | Theresa Dollinger Waldron & Jon Waldron Presented By St. Francis Sponsor With Special Support From St. Clare Sponsor Thanks so much for your interest in our 69th Caritas Scholarship Celebration! Ticket sales have officially closed. For more information, reach out to Sebastian Mireles at smireles@stfrancis.edu or call 815-740-5047. Thank you! The Caritas Committee P.S. Attendance is not required to participate in our silent auction! Click the button below to become an official bidder and view all our great auction items! VISIT THE OFFICIAL CARITAS WEBSITE 2026 Sponsorship Levels & Sponsor Listing St. Francis Sponsorship - $30,000 (SOLD) This sponsorship has been sold. Please consider one of our other sponsorship levels to support Caritas 2026! 2026 ST. FRANCIS SPONSOR D’Arcy Buick GMC ———- Your gift of $30,000 will assist in preparing a student, like Brianna, who has worked to put herself through college while living with her grandmother. Brianna’s dream of becoming a special education teacher would be realized with an Annual Scholarship to be awarded in 2025-2026. VIP Tickets, if attending event Logo on USF and event websites Recognition as Presenting Sponsor in all event publicity Acknowledgement of support by emcee during event Exposure through logo on printed photos Social media recognition starting as soon as commitment is made St. Clare Sponsorship - $15,000 2026 ST. CLARE SPONSORS Wintrust ———- Your investment of $15,000 will help to provide a student with the opportunity to realize their dream of becoming a health care professional and contribute to the community through service and leadership by decreasing their cost by half for the academic year. VIP Tickets to the event, if attending Logo on USF and event websites Recognition as St. Clare Sponsor in all event publicity Acknowledgement of your support by emcee during event Logo on silent auction website Social media recognition starting as soon as commitment is made Brown & Gold Sponsorship - $10,000 2026 BROWN & GOLD SPONSORS Gloria & Ed Dollinger and Family Diane ’77 & Bill Habiger ———- Your gift of $10,000 will help in providing five business students with a $2,000 scholarship for the year. Tickets to the event, if attending Logo on USF and event websites Recognition as Brown and Gold Sponsor in all event publicity Acknowledgement of your support by emcee during event Bidding Site Logo placement Social media recognition starting as soon as commitment is made Saint Sponsorship - $7,500 2026 SAINT SPONSORS Rothschild Wealth Partners ———- Your investment of $7,500 will help afford students, like Lucy, the opportunity to pursue her double major in biology and chemistry. Lucy’s ultimate goal is to become a family physician and the gift of education at USF will ensure her patient approach is a compassionate one. Tickets to the event, if attending Logo on USF and event websites Recognition as Saint Sponsor in all event publicity Bidding Site Logo placement Social media recognition starting as soon as commitment is made Bernie Sponsorship - $5,000 2026 BERNIE SPONSORS ABM First Secure Community Bank Old National Bank Quest Food Management Services The Preserves of Minooka: An Active Adult Duplex Community Robert & Patricia Wheeler Family Foundation Tracey ’92 & Dan Vogen ’93 ———- Your gift of $5,000 helps a student realize their dream of becoming a nurse and changing lives by giving back to the community with the gifts they take with them when they graduate from the university. Tickets to the event, if attending Logo on USF and event websites Recognition as Bernie Sponsor in all event publicity Social media recognition starting as soon as commitment is made Friends Sponsorship $1,000-$4,999 2026 FRIENDS SPONSORS Adler Roofing & Sheet Metal, Inc. Austin Tyler Construction Shawna (Batus ’94) & Brett Binkowski ’94 Busey Bank Commerce Bank ExxonMobil Joliet Refinery John Frauenhoffer Cyndi (Rutkowski ’80) & Jim Karges State Representative Natalie Manley ’99 Donna & John Przybyla ’92 Saint Joseph Medical Center Tim Wallace Soil Mix Supply Turk Furniture Mary Kathleen Ward ———- Your investment of $1,000-$4,999 helps provide resource support for our student teachers to realize higher levels of success in their journey to earn their degree. 2026 Save the Date Video Photos from Caritas 2026 CHECK BACK SOON— PHOTOS WILL BE POSTED AFTER THE EVENT! Questions? Contact Annette Jelinek at ajelinek@stfrancis.edu or 815-740-3477