Courtesy of Hylton Performing Arts Center
The Hilton Performing Arts Center presents a special holiday evening for its 14th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, April 27, at 6 p.m. The one-night celebration includes an elegant cocktail party; dinner program featuring a tribute and Raise Your Paddle fundraiser and an opportunity to mingle with other attendees at an after-dinner reception. The Raise Your Paddle fundraiser will feature a performance by U.S. Army Band lead vocalist and SFC Mason graduate Adiza Jibril. Guests will enjoy live music during the after-dinner dessert reception.
Executive Director of the Hylton Center Rick Davis expands on his excitement for the 14th Anniversary Gala: “Each year the Hilton Gala celebrates something very special, something that resonates beyond the walls of our beautiful arts venue – it celebrates the community that created the Hilton Center and the many communities that the Hilton Center has helped for creating in the 14 years since we opened our doors.”
Excellent students
the 14th The anniversary gala will honor Dr. Sam and Lillian Hill and the Cecil and Irene Hilton Foundation for their contributions to the Hilton Center and all of Prince William County. Funds raised support the artistic programming of the Hylton Center, Veterans and the Arts Initiative, Educational initiativeand endowmentensuring artistic excellence in performances and offerings.
Sam and Lillian Hill have long been champions of education in the greater Prince William County area. Dr. Sam Hill served as Chancellor of Northern Virginia Community College’s Woodbridge Campus for 17 years, retiring in 2022. During that time, he was instrumental in increasing enrollment, transforming the physical campus and expanding programming. The Hills have a solid history of community involvement. Sam has served as a commissioner on the Prince William County Future 2030 Commission, as well as a board member of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Sentara Medical Center, and the Arts Center of Greater Manassas and Prince William County (now known as the ARTfactory ). The Hills have supported the Hylton Center since its inception as members of the Copper Circle, donors to the Take a Seat campaign, capital campaign co-chairs and performance regulars.
The Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation, led by Conrad Hylton, president of the Hylton Group, has supported a wide range of charitable causes in Prince William County and the Northern Virginia region since its inception in 1989. From the arts to human and family services, education, health and other public interests, their philanthropic spirit has breathed life into this region. Cecil D. Hylton is the founder of the Hylton Group, a real estate development company that built tens of thousands of homes and developed the Dale City, Manassas Park, Marumsko and other areas in the 1970s. The Hiltons have influenced this region in a variety of ways, including the Cecil D. Hilton Memorial Chapel and the Irene V. Hilton Planetarium at CD Hylton High School. Their support also includes the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington (Hilton Club) and the Hilton Family Birthing Center at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center. The Cecil and Irene Hylton Foundation has been an ardent supporter of the Hylton Performing Arts Center since its earliest days, providing a catalyzing gift in 2007 to complete construction of the Hylton Center. The Foundation has also provided critical operational support, ensuring that this region continues to have access to artistic excellence.
Executive Director Rick Davis added, “This year’s honorees reflect these communities so beautifully—the Hilton family foundation has left an indelible mark on institutions in our region, and Sam and Lillian Hill have worked tirelessly to build community through their dedication to education, the arts, and more charitable activities. I am thrilled to share the contributions of our honorees with a wonderful group of patrons and friends, old and new, and to celebrate the power of the arts to make the world a more welcoming place for all.”
Hylton Center 14th Anniversary Gala Schedule:
Saturday, April 27
6 p.m. – Reception in Didlake’s Grand Foyer
19:30 – Dinnerhonoree tribute and Raise Your Paddle fundraiser on the Merchant Hall stage
from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. – Live music and dessert reception after dinner
Individual tickets and table sponsorships can be purchased at Hylton Center website.
For more information about Gala tickets or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dylan Lambert c 703-993-7061 or dlamber4@gmu.edu, orVisitHylton Center website.
The presenting sponsor of the 14th Anniversary Gala is Compton & Duling, LC