Gala A record number of sponsors, attendees, and dollars raised for Mitchell Scholars and Maine’s future. Thank you for making Gala 2024 spectacular in every way!
If you weren’t able to join us this year, mark your calendar for Gala 2025 on Friday, Sept. 26!
We are deeply grateful for the record number of sponsors and attendees who joined us at Gala 2024 to celebrate Mitchell Scholars and support our mission to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education. Thanks to our loyal and generous community of supporters who contributed more than $410,000 through Gala 2024, the Mitchell Institute can disrupt generational poverty for more Maine families, ensure that more hardworking young people in Maine have access to higher education, and provide communities statewide with a stronger and more educated workforce.
Click the photo collage below to to see our coverage of Gala 2024!
To learn more about Gala and explore our current levels of sponsorship, please visit the links below. If you have questions about the event, please contact Jared Cash, President and CEO of the Mitchell Institute, by email or phone: 207-358-7731.
The Mitchell Institute Gala is an annual celebration of Mitchell Scholars and the Mitchell Institute’s mission to unlock the potential of Maine students.
Since 1995, the Mitchell Institute has provided Mitchell Scholars from every public high school in Maine with vital resources to fulfill their dreams of a college education, realize their enormous potential, and develop their career paths. In addition to awarding a $10,000 scholarship to each Mitchell Scholar, we offer a broad range of supports, including mentoring, fellowship grants, and programming to develop leadership skills and encourage career exploration.
Proceeds from the Gala support these and other Mitchell Scholar programs.
In 2024, Maine’s not-to-be-missed evening featured:
- a vibrant community reception with delicious complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres
- remarks from Senator George J. Mitchell
- a seated dinner served by Blue Elephant Catering
- personal reflections from Mitchell Scholars
- a raffle for a luxury vacation from Odysseys Unlimited
- the announcement of the 2024 Pioneer Scholars
- Mitchell Scholars seated at every table to share their experiences and build their networks
Click here to see our multimedia coverage of Gala 2023
Thank you for considering a Gala sponsorship. Funds raised from Gala support vital programming for Mitchell Scholars. The information provided below reflects 2024 sponsorship levels. If you have questions about 2025 sponsorship packages and the benefits associated with each, please contact Jeff Candura, Director of Development, or call 207-358-7733.
Lead Sponsor: $25,000
• Exclusive Scholar Speaker Sponsor
• Full-page ad on the exterior cover of the event program
• Pre-and post-event coverage
• Banner display on stage
• VIP Parking
• 2 dinner seats at a head table
• 8 dinner seats at a private table in a preferred location. Two Mitchell Scholars also will be seated with your guests.
Prime Sponsor: $15,000
• Full-page ad on the inside cover of the event program
• Banner display (banner must be provided)
• Recognition on our website and in printed literature
• VIP Parking
• 2 dinner seats at a head table
• 8 dinner seats at a private table in a preferred location. Two Mitchell Scholars also will be seated with your guests.
Leadership Sponsor: $10,000
• Full-page feature ad in program
• Recognition on website and in printed literature
• Banner display (must be provided)
• VIP Parking
• 8 dinner seats at a private table in a preferred location. Two Mitchell Scholars also will be seated at the table.
Major Sponsor: $7,500
• Full-page ad in program
• Recognition in printed literature
• Banner display (banner must be provided)
• VIP Parking
• 8 dinner seats at a private table in a central location. Two Mitchell Scholars also will be seated at the table.
Program Sponsor: $5,000
• Full-page color ad in program
• Recognition in printed literature
• VIP Parking
• 8 dinner seats at a private table in a central location. Two Mitchell Scholars also will be seated at the table.
Table Sponsor: $3,000
• Recognition in printed literature
• 8 dinner seats at a table. Two Mitchell Scholars also will be seated at the table.
Program Advertisements
• $500 for a full-page color program ad or $250 for a half-page color program ad. Ads are due August 20, 2024.
Lead Sponsor:
Prime Sponsors:
Barbara Atkins
Leadership Sponsors:
JP Zonnenberg & Susan Russell
Major Sponsors:
Chuck de Sieyes and Carol Ward
Ginny Swain
Program Sponsors:
Bruce and Becky Epstein
Family of Buzz Fitzgerald
The Judith Glickman Lauder Family Foundations
George and Heather Mitchell
Chris and Nancy Pierce
Table Sponsors:
Kennebec Savings Bank
L.L.Bean
Bowdoin College
Margie McHenry Bride
Broadreach PR
Consigli Construction
R.M. Davis
Mike and Denise Dubyak
The John T. Gorman Foundation
Andrew Fenniman and John Mulcahy
Julie Goldberg
GoNetSpeed
Hannaford
The Kilroy Family
LeBlanc & Young PA
Lockton
Martin’s Point Health Care
MEMIC
Bill and Vicki Mitchell
MedRhythms
Pine State Trading Co.
Preti Flaherty
ProSearch
Serra Public Affairs
Spectrum Health Care Partners
Spinnaker Trust
Turner Construction Company
University of Maine Foundation & University of Maine
University of Maine System
University of New England
Uprise Partners
Tim and Liz Williams
Wipfli
WoodworthMaker
Lead Sponsor:
Prime Sponsors:
Barbara Atkins
Leadership Sponsors:
Major Sponsor:
Program Sponsors:
Bruce and Becky Epstein
Family of Buzz Fitzgerald
The Judith Glickman Lauder Foundations
George and Heather Mitchell
Chris and Nancy Pierce
Table Sponsors:
BerryDunn
Bernstein Shur
Bowdoin College
Marjorie McHenry Bride
Consigli Construction
Dead River Company
Chuck de Sieyes and Carol Ward
Mike and Denise Dubyak
Fluid Imaging Technologies
Gorham Savings Bank
John T. Gorman Foundation
Hannaford
Nathan Kinney ’08
L.L.Bean
Lockton
Maine Medical Center and MaineHealth
Martin’s Point Health Care
MELMAC
MEMIC
Mitchell Family
Pine State Trading
Preti Flaherty
ProSearch
Trish Riley in honor of the University of Maine System
R.M. Davis
The Roux Institute
Ginny Swain
Turner Construction
University of Maine
University of New England
Uprise Partners
Tim and Liz Williams
Wipfli
The Mitchell Institute arranged special group-rate lodging of $199 for the night of Friday, Sept. 20, at Clarion Hotel Airport, 1230 Congress Street in Portland, for Gala attendees. The special group rate includes free cancellation until Wednesday, Sept. 18.
Watch Emily Birdsall explain why meeting with donors at Gala is important to Mitchell Scholars.
The generosity of Gala attendees continues to fuel our plan to expand the number of Mitchell Scholarships awarded to 200 each year and increase the critical wraparound supports needed to ensure the additional Scholars’ success. Thank you for continuing to make Mitchell Scholars and our mission a philanthropic priority.