Toast Du Soleil, the theme of this year’s Toast to the Coast, is bringing an upscale festive carnival ambience to Coast Episcopal School’s annual fundraiser, Toast to the Coast.  The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s signature dining, art, and entertainment gala, presented this year by Galleria BMW in D’Iberville, marks its 41st year on Friday, October 18, 2024.  Coordinated by an all-volunteer committee, the event is produced annually as the major fundraising event for Coast Episcopal School in Long Beach.  This year, more than 20 CES parents are volunteering their time to work together to produce Toast to the Coast.

The event’s theme was chosen as a reflection of “the Magic” that is Coast Episcopal School, according to event co-chairs Patrick Sanders, Liz Seal and Amanda Wood. “From the moment you walk on our campus, you feel the school’s magic – from the joyful voices of our students to the passion of our educators.  Our goal is to replicate the unique spirit of our school at this year’s Toast to the Coast,” explains Amanda Wood.

Toast Du Soleil will be held at the beach front Ramsey property at 845 East Scenic Drive in Pass Christian. The gala will kick off with a 6 pm Patron Party, followed by the Main Event at 7 PM.  Tickets can be purchased at toasttickets.org.  Patron Tickets are available for $500  for two people; Main Event, $150 per person.  Attendees must be 21 years of age to attend.

The gala is multifaceted.  Attendees will enjoy cuisine offered by 30+ restaurants; several open, full-service bars;  a silent auction and raffle; Children in the Arts installation and sales; and music by Tyler Kinchen & The Right Places.  Festive components will include acrobats and a Champagne Lady whose dress of cascading glasses of the bubbly beverage will be a delight to watch.

600+ guests are expected to attend the October 18th gala, which, in addition to ticket sales, is produced with the support of nearly 42 individual donors/patrons, in kind and corporate sponsors, the latter of which includes Platinum Plus Sponsor Seemann Composites and Platinum Sponsor Hancock Whitney.

Guests choosing to attend the 6 pm Patron Party will enjoy music by Tri Me and food provided by Radish of Long Beach, Half Shell and the Rackhouse of Gulfport.  Patrons will be able to enjoy the Restaurant “Big Tent” at 6:45 pm, which opens at 7 pm for the Main Event.

With more than 30 food and drink vendors participating in the gala, attendees will have many culinary choices from area restaurants, breweries and bakeries.  Seven of this year’s restaurants are new to Toast to the Coast.

In addition to ticket sales, corporate sponsorship and personal donations, fundraising activities include a raffle and silent auction, both of which can be accessed on toasttickets.org and even those who choose not to attend Friday’s event can participate in the online fun.

A $100 raffle ticket provides the chance to win the Coast’s Ultimate Game Day Experience.  The winner will enjoy 50 yard line Club Level seats when the Saints play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, November 17 and, afterwards, a premium suite, $100 breakfast/brunch credit, and free parking at the Windsor Court Hotel, PLUS, a $200 Visa Gift Card to enjoy NOLA’s unparalleled culinary choices.

 

The silent auction, also live on toasttickets.org, features 150+ items including traditional offerings from hotels, restaurants, and spas and unique choices such as a New Orleans Horse Race Package, trips to Argentina, Costa Rica, and South Africa, and a “Smile to Last a Lifetime” braces package from Michaelis & Ledoux Orthodontics.

Coast Episcopal School’s focus on the arts is reflected in unique, creative components of the gala.  Each year, Toast to the Coast features works created by MS Gulf Coast schools in its Children in the Arts display.  This year, approximately 30 students from 12 MS Gulf Coast schools have provided individual works which will be available for viewing during the evening.  The works will then be moved to the Gail Keenan Art Center Gallery located on the CES Campus, where they will be displayed and viewed, by appointment, from November 4 through December 20.

Each CES class (Toddlers, Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First through Sixth Grades) produces a unique art project that attendees bid on throughout the evening.  CES parents also have the opportunity to purchase a ceramic palm dish glazed by their own student and twice-fired in the school’s kiln.

The very first Toast to the Coast was produced in 1983 and was conceived by a group of parents who wanted to support the school in a way that reflected the MS Gulf Coast food, art and music culture.  Ten restaurants participated in the first year, which, in comparison to the current day gala, resembled a backyard party compared to the glittering event of today that features huge and lavish tents, an entertainment stage and themed decor throughout the gala grounds.

 All Toast Du Soleil profits will support the educational experience of the students of Coast Episcopal School.  Serving children ages 18 months through sixth grade, the independent school, located at 5065 Espy Avenue in Long Beach, is committed to providing its students with an unmatched educational experience in an atmosphere that fosters academic and spiritual growth both in and outside the classroom.  The 25-acre campus, in addition to its Toddler, Preschool and newly renovated Elementary School Building, also boasts the Gail Keenan Art Center, which houses the school’s art and music programs and utilizes its signature gallery for professional shows and workshops, and the Seemann Makerspace, which provides modern technology tools that integrate STEAM-based classroom curriculum into practical, hands-on experiences.

Coast Episcopal School has been dedicated to a life-long love of learning by developing the whole child – mind, body and spirit – and providing a joyful, unique and nurturing Judeo-Christian Community that inspires its students to imagine and create a better world.  Founded in 1950, CES is a member of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS).  For information:  Coast Episcopal School, 5065 Espy Avenue, Long Beach, MS, 39560.  228-452-9442. Coastepiscopalschool.org  To purchase “Toast Du Soleil” Toast to the Coast Tickets:  toasttickets.org