Tickets available for annual gala recognizing North Allegheny alumni

Celebrating the professional and personal achievements of former North Allegheny graduates is the highlight of the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Gala, set for Jan. 22 at the Holy Trinity Center in McCandless.

The event, held annually by the North Allegheny Foundation, will begin with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and presentation of awards at 7.

The public can attend by purchasing tickets by Jan. 5 online through a link on the North Allegheny Foundation’s page under the Our District tab at northallegheny.org.

“With this event, we honor the North Allegheny alumni who have excelled in their field and encourage all NA alumni and community members to attend. The evening is a great reminder of how the NA community cultivates students for success after graduation,” said Megan DeFrancesco, class of 1998, who is co-chairing the event with Ann DuBois, class of 2000, and NA Foundation trustee Alice Beckett-Rumberger.

A reserved table of eight costs $800, and individual tickets cost $100. Sponsorship opportunities also are available.

This is one of the signature events held by the North Allegheny Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides fundraising for the district.

This year’s gala honorees and their respective categories include Kirsten Chambers, 1993, arts; Mark Wagner, 1991, business; Craig Poole, 1967, community service; Maria Paluselli, 1988, education; US Air Force Col. (retired) Bradley Harbaugh, 1996, government and law; Dr. Daniel McKeone, 2003, medicine; Thomas Jones, 1972, science and technology; and Alexandra Sansosti, 2011, young alumni, a category for those 40 and younger.

This year’s Spirit of NA will be awarded to Dr. Lawrence Butterini. Though not an alumnus, he served as an educator at North Allegheny for 50 years, including as a teacher, coach, guidance counselor, principal and superintendent.

Daniel Stack, class of 1992, will be honored with the Community Impact award in memoriam. He was director of safety and security for the North Allegheny School District, a fire marshal and emergency management coordinator for McCandless, and a local firefighter volunteer.

Nominations are open year-round on the foundation’s webpage.

The gala includes a cocktail hour performance by a small ensemble of North Allegheny orchestra students, recognition for all honorees by Pennsylvania state representatives and acknowledgments from each honoree.

“The evening is a true celebration of the grit, determination and talent displayed by our alumni,” Francesco said. “As each honoree accepts their award, we ask them to reflect on their time at NA and mention any community or staff members who helped them achieve their success.”

New this year is the 2026 Gala Campaign — Tiger-Powered: Empower the Extraordinary — a donation campaign to raise funds for the grants the NA Foundation awards in the fall and spring each year. Donors can select to give in the categories of STEM, the arts and wellness.

Last school year, the NA Foundation granted teachers and staff more $160,000 in grants for projects ranging from an inflatable planetarium to rollerblades to a waterjet machining center. Projects range from school-specific grants to items shared across the district, Francesco said.