Blarney! House of Heroes and Friends will be Wearin’ the Green for 10th Annual Hearts & Heroes Gala Saturday, March 14
Jan 8
2 min read
“An Emerald Evening: Celebrating 10 Years of Hearts & Heroes” Dinner/Dance at
Aqua Turf Club will Mark Official Kick Off of 2026 Year of Service; Event is
Non-Profit Veteran Service Organization’s Largest Fundraiser of the Year
Hamden, CT., January 8, 2026 – House of Heroes Connecticut (HOHCT) will be goin’ green for its 10th
Annual Hearts & Heroes Gala Saturday March 14 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, the official kick off of the non-profit Veterans Service Organization’s 2026 Year of Service.
HOHCT’s “An Emerald Evening: Celebrating 10 years of Hearts & Heroes” – smack dab in the heart of St. Patrick’s Day season – will feature musical entertainment by Mass-Conn Fusion, dinner, dancing, open bar, a premium raffle and silent auction. The evening will be highlighted by presentation of the annual William J. May III Service Above Self Awards.
More than 250 guests are expected at the event, the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year.
The William J. May III Service Above Self Awards are presented annually to the organization’s Sponsor,
Craftsman and Volunteer of the Year. Established in 2019, the May Awards honor the legacy of HOHCT’s late co-founder Bill May, a 24-year Army Aviation veteran, Black Hawk helicopter test pilot and inspiring leader whose vision was to assist fellow veterans in need of home renovations and repairs that would keep them safely in their homes. HOHCT has worked to keep Bill’s legacy alive since his 2016 passing and will serve its 300th Veteran this year. The 2026 Year of Service begins with to-be-determined Veteran Service Projects on Saturday, March 28.
May Awardees will be announced soon.
Tickets for the Hearts &Heroes Gala are $130 per person. Event tickets, tables, sponsorships and
advertising opportunities are available at hohct.org/emeraldevening2026.
This gala sounds like a wonderful way to honor veterans and celebrate a decade of service. I love that they're kicking off their 2026 Year of Service, and it reminds me I can play free online to unwind after reading about such inspiring work.
Gala write-ups are the hardest thing for a small charity to do well, because the evening is over before anyone has sorted the photographs, and the ones that exist are dim, taken from the back of the room, and look nothing like each other. The post that raises money next year is the one where the room feels like a room: the same warm light, the same framing, a set that reads as one event. We build Reference to Video: give it a reference image or a short piece of footage plus a prompt and it generates a coherent clip, so a handful of usable stills can become a short film of the evening without a videographer on the night.
The upcoming Hearts & Heroes Gala sounds like a remarkable celebration of service and community support, particularly with the William J. May III Service Above Self Awards highlighting the contributions of dedicated individuals. It’s inspiring to see organizations like House of Heroes making such a tangible impact, especially after completing 36 veteran homes last year. I often think about how to convey important data accurately, like when using tools for significant figures; it’s all about precision in every effort, much like the mission of this event. You might find a helpful tool for that here: Significant Figures Calculator.
The March 14 date at the Aqua Turf Club with Mass-Conn Fusion sounds like a perfect way to kick off the 2026 Year of Service, especially with the St. Patrick’s Day theme. If I can’t make it in person, I might just have to celebrate by creating a little tribute with an ai karaoke maker.
The news about the commercial building approval in Hamden is such a big step for the organization, and seeing that they completed 36 veteran homes in 2025 really shows the kind of momentum they’re carrying into the new year. It’s inspiring to see that kind of tangible support for the community. By the way, I keep a free Satisfactory production calculator I like to share. https://satisfactorycalculator.net/