8th Annual Great Hearts Gala: Gold Rush

An evening of elegance and fortune

Friday, November 7th

Warehouse215

215 E Grant St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Great Hearts Arizona welcomes you to the 8th annual Great Hearts Gala: Gold Rush, an evening of elegance and fortune, presented by Smead Capital Management. We are excited to provide a hosted cocktail hour, delicious buffet, live and silent auctions, a drawing to win a $13K diamond, a wine pull, and a paddle raise all in support of our Teacher Excellence Fund which provides bonus compensation to our incredible teachers every December. 

Attire

Cocktail with Black, Gold, and Cream Accents: Visit our Pinterest page for inspiration.

Parking

Please be aware that it is First Friday in downtown Phoenix and traffic may be heavy coming from the I-10. We recommend mapping directions to find the best route for arriving.

Self parking and courtesy valet available on a first come, first serve basis. Please view map below for parking areas. 

Event Timeline

5:30PM: VIP Entry and Cocktail Hour

6:15PM: VIP Reception

(VIP pass holders meet in the 3rd courtyard with Gold Rush photo backdrop)

6:30PM: General Admission Entry and Cocktail Hour

6:45PM: VIP Meet and Greet

7:00PM: Doors Open to Ballroom & Buffet Opens

8:00PM: Great Hearts Program Begins

Scottsdale Prep Chamber Choir

Bard Performance

Live Auction

Exceptional Teaching Award Presented

Paddle Raise

Diamond Drawing Winner Announced

Thank you so much to our generous sponsors who make this event possible!

Valedictorian Presenting

Summa Cum Laude

Cum Laude 

Venue and Decor Sponsor 

Cocktail Sponsor

Diamond Drawing Sponsor 

Dean's List 

Auction Sponsor

Valet Sponsor

Honor Roll

Registration Sponsor

Event Supporter

In-Kind Partners 

We are deeply grateful for our 2025 Great Hearts Gala Committee:

Brian Piper and Shar Najafi-Piper (Scottsdale) - 2025 Committee Co-chair

Eric and Amanda Ryan (Scottsdale) - 2025 Committee Co-chair

. . .

Joel and Emily Blosser (Anthem)

Enrique and Marilyn Ortega (Anthem)

Craig and Tiffany Bottolfson (Arete)

David and Maria Lipp (Arete)

Tom and Valerie Spengler (Cicero)

Andrew and Rebecca Altman (Glendale)

Anthony and Desarae Puchta (Glendale)

Bryan and Marybeth Burt (North Phoenix)

Sean and Helen Herd (North Phoenix)

David and Rachel McDaniel (North Phoenix)

Al and Amy Hawks (Scottsdale)

Amit and Tejal Misra (Scottsdale)

William and Katie French (Veritas)

Travis and Valery Peep (Veritas)

Kent and Korenna Wilson (Veritas)