Executive and Honorary Chairs Provide Vision for Khaki & Plaid Gala

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Catholic News Agency

The Khaki & Plaid Gala has been blessed with strong leadership through the years with some very prominent names as Executive and Honorary Chairs. Past Executive Chairs included Clarence & Tina Kahlig; Henry & Mary Alice Cisneros; Frank & Cecilia Herrera; Doug & Nancy Cross; Paul & Becky Saenz; and mostly recently, Dave & Judy Rettinger. The gala isĀ Hope for the Future’s largest fundraising event to support its ministry of providing tuition assistance to economically disadvantaged families wanting to attend a Catholic School in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Following the amazing talents of the past, Bruce & Cindy Vaio are spearheading the Khaki & Plaid Gala Homecoming 2016 | Red Carpet Reunion with the help of Honorary Chairs Clarence & Tina Kahlig.

Bruce and Cindy Vaio

ā€œI was honored to be the emcee of last yearā€™s Khaki & Plaid inaugural Homecoming Court and things kind of took off from there,ā€ said Bruce. Because of the coupleā€™s involvement in the gala, they were first on the list to chair the next event.

ā€œThings culminated for us when the Archbishop personally asked if we would serve in the Chair role for this year,ā€ said Bruce Vaio. As others will tell you, it is very difficult to say ā€œNOā€ to the Archbishop.ā€

Ā  Tina and Clarence Kahlig

When Bruce and Cindy were asked to Chair the gala, they both immediately considered Clarence and Tina for Honorary Chairs. The love and support they have provided to the Catholic School community is the model of generosity.

ā€œWhen you look at the local community, there is not a better example of servitude and humble commitment than Clarence and Tina,ā€ said Bruce and Cindy. ā€œClarence and Tina are immensely appreciative of what Catholic education has meant to their family and are stellar leaders in assuring that this monumental gift is available well into the future.ā€

The Kahligā€™s believe serving others, especially children and youth is a vital part of the Catholic faith. ā€œWe are called to help others realize Godā€™s perfect plan for their lives. Equipped with Catholic School education, our younger people will become our future and continue in the tradition of giving back to others,ā€ said Clarence and Tina.

The Kahligā€™s continue to be a driving force within the Catholic School community and within their respective business industries. ā€œWhether in front of or behind the scenes, Clarence and Tina have quietly been rock solid in sharing their time, talents and treasure, to assist in making Catholic School education an affordable reality for those seeking a faith based platform for their children,ā€ said Bruce and Cindy.

Bruce and Cindy attended Catholic School in New Mexico and because they valued a faith based education, their children attended Catholic School here in San Antonio.

ā€œAll three of our children have pioneered a successful individual path since graduating from San Antonio Catholic Schools, said Bruce and Cindy. ā€œSeeing how they interact and step forth in assisting with community service opportunities resonates from their Catholic School origin.ā€

Bruce and Cindy believe that a Catholic School education helps children process the many challenges our complex world faces. Catholic Schools teach children to put those challenges in perspective while providing a moral compass that serves as a guide to daily actions.

ā€œWhat a better way to honor God than to help children who otherwise would be unable to attend Catholic Schools,ā€ said Clarence and Tina. ā€œThe lives of the children who are the beneficiaries of Hope for the Future scholarships are forever changed. It is an honor to be a small part of that.ā€

The Khaki & Plaid Gala is headed into its seventh year and has turned into the event to reconnect with classmates and make new friends within the community. ā€œWe have seen firsthand that the K&P Gala is the premier reunion gathering for our Catholic community in San Antonio,ā€ said Bruce Vaio. With this yearā€™s added theme of Red Carpet Reunion, it is a demonstration of the eternal bond students form while in Catholic Schools.

ā€œCindy and I are hopeful that the success of this yearā€™s campaign in conjunction with the Homecoming Court platform launched last year will position Hope for the Future to realistically address 100% of tuition assistance needs by the end of 2020,ā€ said Bruce Vaio.

Every year, there is a large list of families on the funding waitlist. Though Hope for the Future was able to provide 2,100 students with $2.6 million in tuition assistance for the 2015-2016 school year, there are 900 eligible children who did not receive assistance due to exhausted funds. ā€œWhat lingers always on our heart are the students we are unable to help and where they end up,ā€ said Clarence and Tina Kahlig.

With the Vaioā€™s bold vision, Hope for the Future is dedicated to helping families obtain a Catholic School education. You can help reach this goal by attending the Khaki & Plaid Gala in January. For ticket information and table reservations, please visit www.KhakiandPlaid.org.

HOPE Recipients