Over 750 dedicated members of the Covenant House New Jersey (CHNJ) community came together for our 18th annual gala event. The gala, Night of Broadway Stars, was held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, June 15th. The evening celebrated the work and mission of CHNJ. The event raised almost $1.5 million dollars to help the hundreds of youth facing homelessness served by CHNJ each year. We are so thankful to our Title Sponsor, the Berger Family, who matched all sponsorships, and to the Paglieri Family who matched all Fund-a-Need gifts at the event.
Guests enjoyed a lavish cocktail reception and an abundance of raffles pre-show. The 90-minute production produced by John Asselta and hosted by Neil Berg featured Broadway Stars including Laurel Harris, Justin Matthew Sargent, and Lakesha Jones. CHNJ youth shared their inspiring stories of transformation. We celebrated Delbarton School, Cheryl McNamara, and Ben Irvine as our annual Beacon of Hope recipients. We thank them again for their unwavering support of the work and mission of CHNJ. The show ended with several young people from Covenant House performing Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song”. After a 2 year pause from hosting an in-person event, it was a wonderful evening of hope, inspiration, and dedication of the community’s support for the youth of CHNJ.