Trocaire’s 2021 Spring Soirée is April 29
Virtual fundraising event to honor KeyBank in partnership with First Niagara Foundation, among others
After the pandemic postponed Trocaire College’s Spring Soirée gala last year, the annual fundraising event is going virtual on Thursday, April 29 at 7 p.m. Spring Soirée is open to the entire community, and proceeds from the event directly support student tuition assistance.
In addition to featuring an online silent auction of valuable packages of giveaways from local businesses, restaurants and services, Spring Soirée celebrates the individuals and organizations that empower the spirit of Trocaire. This year’s award recipients include:
- The Distinguished Alumni Award is being given to Karen Chiantella Camacho ’96, MBA, BSN, RN-BC, CPHIMS. Following a five-year career as a bedside nurse, Karen pivoted to roles in consulting and nursing informatics. She currently works at PointClickCare as their product escalations manager, where she ensures all clinical software issues are prioritized and addressed appropriately. She is a longtime member of the Trocaire Alumni Council and is the current Council chair.
- The Trocaire College President’s Award goes to KeyBank in partnership with the First Niagara Foundation. The organizations donated a gift of $100,000 to Trocaire in December 2019, which will be used as an endowed scholarship, providing generations of Trocaire students with the financial support they need to continue their educations uninterrupted.
- Finally, Medical Assisting graduate Amanda Gillespie will receive the Outstanding Student Award. Amanda is a United States Army veteran and served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2012. While enrolled at Trocaire, Amanda maintained a 4.0 GPA while also balancing a job as a medical receptionist. She graduated in May 2020 and was immediately offered a job working in a surgery center as the lead for its COVID-19 specimen collection program.