By Lois Rogers | Features Editor

Over the past 16 years, the annual Ray of Hope Gala has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit the programs of Catholic Charities throughout Monmouth County.

This year, despite extraordinary circumstances wrought by Superstorm Sandy, the fund raising effort turned out to be no exception, resulting in $110,000 for programs including Beacon House, a transitional group home for young men the Family Growth Program, which offers specialized treatment for sexually abused children; Linkages, a transitional housing program in Tinton Falls; Project Free, a substance abuse treatment program for women and their families; Monmouth County Counseling; and Disaster Response.

Without the commitment of a dedicated team of volunteers on the Monmouth County Board of Catholic Charities and the Ray of Hope Committee members, such a result might not have been possible, said Marlene Lao-Collins, Catholic Charities’ executive director. In her keynote address at this year’s gala which drew 200 attendees to the Eagle Oaks Golf & Country Club in Farmingdale April 26, Lao-Collins referred to the exceptional timing of the event which not only took place during the centennial anniversary year of Catholic Charities in the Trenton Diocese but came “on the heels of one of the worst storms in the history of the diocese.”

The ongoing after-effects created many hurdles for the committee including a delay in the planning. Still, the members forged ahead, Lao-Collins said, focusing on the clear goal of helping those in need, including many affected by the storm.

She praised all who volunteer for Catholic Charities, calling their work a “blessing and heroic.” She said many volunteers and staff impacted by the superstorm “worked tirelessly to provide food, clothing and counseling” to the scores of people affected.

The hard work and due diligence of all combined had resulted in Catholic Charities in the Trenton Diocese being named to serve as the managing agency for the statewide delivery of disaster case management services funded by FEMA, and will administer an $8.7 million grant coordinating disaster case management among the five Catholic Charities in New Jersey.

There was hearty applause for Pat and Larry Durso, members of St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, who were honored with the 2013 Ray of Hope Outstanding Service Award for their contributions to Catholic Charities programs in Monmouth County as well as lending their support to several other organizations.

In accepting the award, Durso said the applause should be directed toward his wife. “Pat does all the work,” related to their volunteer contributions. “I just write the checks,” he said wryly as the audience quickly responded with a standing ovation.

The theme of this year’s gala was “Downton Abbey” after the popular PBS series and a highlight of the evening was the live auction of an Edwardian style platinum and diamond ring donated by Red Bank-based jeweler AH Fisher Diamond which fetched $5,000 to benefit Catholic Charities causes.

Gala co-chairs for three years were Valarie DeFelice, St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, and Barbara Wills, St. Catharine/St. Margaret Parish, Spring Lake. They were joined by Jennifer More, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Milltown.

In a brief interview during the gala, DeFelice and Wills said that throughout the 16 years of the gala, people have given generously of their time and treasure. “People give their heart and soul to this,” said Wills. “They know that it helps people locally,” said DeFelice.