AHN's By the Bay Gala Raises $1.23 Million for Students

On March 28, 2026, the Academy of the Holy Names celebrated the annual By the Bay Gala at the Tampa Marriott Water Street. This year’s gala raised more than $1.23 million for the Academy’s students! This marks the third consecutive year our gala has surpassed the one-million-dollar milestone, a powerful reflection of the generosity of our community. Proceeds from our By the Bay Gala support tuition assistance, student programming, and professional development across all grade levels.

We are deeply grateful to our title sponsor, Ellison Companies, and to the Ellison family for their extraordinary leadership. Special thanks also go to our presenting sponsors: the Hyer Family, the Nehemiah Fund and the Visconti Family, and Cherie and Harvey Schonbrun.

Guests enjoyed a memorable cocktail hour with music by the AHN String Quartet, “Putt Putt with a Twist” featuring our champion high school golf team, and 3D-printed Jaguar drink charms created by the Senior Engineering class — a creative touch for the Jaguar Raffle.

After dinner, the live auction opened with tremendous energy as a group of AHN seniors, wearing their college sweatshirts, encouraged attendees to bid to “fly their favorite college flag” in front of the school. Congratulations to the Dingle family, Wehle family, and the Hyer & Tira families for proudly securing the win for the University of Notre Dame. Go Irish!

A highlight of the auction was “A Legacy Through Glass,” an original artwork by Isabella S., an AHN eighth-grader. Isabella drew inspiration from her family’s deep roots at the Academy, explaining that her piece reflects our school motto: “Esse Quam Videri,” or “To Be, Rather Than To Seem.” Rather than depicting the campus as it appears today, her work captures “a living foundation shaped by vision, growth, and authenticity.”

Following the auction, an emotional program captured the true meaning of the AHN experience. It opened with a moving day-in-the-life video (view here) following students in each division. Then, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, Mrs. Patty Power Bohannan ’77, shared a heartfelt reflection on what makes the Academy so special. Her moving remarks (view here) deeply touched the audience and inspired generosity, beginning with a gift of $50,000 from Amy and Paul Shoukry.

This was quickly followed by gifts of $25,000 or more from Kim and Phil Dingle, the Garateix family, Morgan and Michael Molinari, Emily and Colin O’Connor, the AHN Mothers Association, and the AHN Dads Club. A surprise $50,000 matching challenge from former AHN parents Renée and Brian Murphy then inspired the crowd to continue raising their paddles for our students.

This unforgettable evening would not have been possible without the leadership of Director of Special Events Elizabeth Fifer, the AHN Advancement Team, and our dedicated gala committee, chaired by Haley Miller. Their vision, creativity, and tireless efforts truly brought the night to life.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 By the Bay Gala a tremendous success. Please save the date to join us next year on Saturday, April 10, 2027.

Click here to view the 2026 photo gallery.

Click here to view the highlight video.