St. Jude Spirit of Hope event raises the bar for giving

Manhattan, NY The seventh annual St. Jude Spirit of Hope networking charity event brought together leaders in the construction and real estate industries for an evening of purpose in New York City. The event highlighted what these industries can achieve in support of the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Approximately 300 guests gathered at Chelsea’s City Winery, overlooking the Hudson River, for an evening of gourmet food, craft spirits, live music, and both a silent and live auction. The event raised $375,000 in support of the children and families of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — surpassing pre-event estimates by about seven percent. These funds directly support St. Jude’s promise: that no family ever pays for treatment, housing, food or travel while their child receives care. 

“St. Jude’s mission has always inspired me—saving children’s lives and supporting families facing unimaginable challenges. What really resonates with me is that every dollar raised goes directly to research and helping families, not administrative costs” said Athena Pappas, director of philanthropy at Forte Construction Corp., who served for the first time as chairperson of the Spirit of Hope Gala. 

Pappas’ relationship with St. Jude began many years ago as a volunteer and donor. After visiting the hospital in Memphis and seeing firsthand the incredible work they do, she became even more inspired to get involved. Three years ago, she joined this committee and has since become the chairperson of this event.

Pappas, together with her committee – Neil Hirani of Hirani Group, Jason Katz of Columbia Capital, Sandra Betterson of New York Life Insurance, Nicholas Depinto and Richard Miensky of Highline Residential, Joshua Goldman of Avison Young, Brianna McClain of Grey Duck Wealth Management, and Kishan Ramsammy of Hotaling Insurance – worked alongside dedicated volunteers, whose generosity and efforts were key to making the event a success. 

“Because of our dedicated sponsors and donors, parents will get to hold their children longer, birthdays will be celebrated, graduations will be cheered, dreams will be chased, and futures that once felt out of reach will finally become possible,” said Pappas. “Together, we made this night a true success, supporting the mission of St. Jude while also providing a meaningful networking opportunity for real estate and construction professionals to connect with current and potential business partners”

Founded in 1962, the Memphis-based St. Jude Children's Research Hospital treats approximately 8,000 children from all 50 states each year. Their research and treatment efforts have significantly increased the childhood cancer survival rate from 20% in 1962, to more than 80% today.

One of the evening’s highlights was welcoming Allia, a former patient of St. Jude. Her mother shared the challenging journey Allia faced after being diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer at just four years old. Today, at 25, Allia is healthy and thriving—a powerful testament to the care and dedication of St. Jude’s doctors and staff. Her story highlighted the impact of the hospital’s work and successfully raised $59,500 for the Spirit of Hope’s first-ever Give to Live Paddle Raise.

“This year’s Spirit of Hope event was a powerful demonstration of community and purpose. Together, we raised an impressive $375,000 in support of the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—an achievement that reflects our shared commitment to advancing cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through groundbreaking research and compassionate care,” said Samantha Rallis, a Development Specialist with ALSAC, the fundraising awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“It is with immense pride and gratitude that I acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of our committee and our exceptional chair, Athena Pappas. I have witnessed firsthand the dedication and passion that fueled this event’s success, and we look forward to building on this momentum to make an even greater impact in 2026.”

Pappas is already collaborating with the St. Jude team and fellow committee members to build on this year’s successes and plan ways to make next year’s event even bigger. The eighth annual Spirit of Hope Gala will be held at City Winery on October 22, 2026.

Forte Construction is a leading general contracting firm with approximately 500 professionals dedicated to delivering complex construction solutions for major public and government agencies, including the MTA, NYC SCA, DASNY, and NYCHA. The firm has a strong focus on transit accessibility and ADA compliance, with a proven track record of completing billions of dollars in MTA construction and modernization contracts.