We’re excited to invite you to our 3rd Annual HAND-Philippines Gala on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 6:30PM, held at the beautiful Ocean Gateway in Portland, Maine.

 

Please feel free to dress in black tie optional, formal attire, or traditional Filipiniana. We warmly encourage you to incorporate our theme color, mossy green, into your outfit as a festive touch, but it’s entirely optional.

 

Join us for an inspiring evening as we celebrate our community and work towards meaningful change. This special gathering will bring together healthcare professionals, medical mission volunteers, families, friends, and supporters in a beautiful setting. Enjoy a delicious dinner, complete with gluten-free and vegan options, and sip on complimentary beer and wine. We will also have specialty cocktails available for purchase during the Gala. The night will be filled with excitement, featuring a lively auction, and fantastic live music and dancing by the Laura Hudson Project. Your support means the world to us.

 

Bayaníhan is a Filipino tradition of community cooperation, people coming together to accomplish something that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for one person to do alone. Its most familiar image is a community joining together to lift and move a neighbor's home. Today, the word carries a broader meaning: shared effort, generosity, and responsibility for one another.​

 

This collaborative spirit is what drives us at HAND-Philippines. Better lives are not built by a single organization but by the combined efforts of Filipino healthcare workers, international medical professionals, donors, local leaders, and the communities themselves. Together, we do more than provide life-saving surgeries and restore sight, we train local healthcare providers and rebuild the facilities they need to deliver lasting care. Like individual strands woven together, each contribution becomes part of something stronger. Together, We Build Better Lives celebrates both the Filipino concept of Bayaníhan and the way HAND-Philippines works: partnership that creates health, independence, opportunity, stronger communities, and a better future.

 

Your ticket purchase directly supports our initiatives for 2027, including providing essential medical equipment to community hospitals in Bohol, Philippines, and empowering local midwives with vital training and resources for newborn care. If you can’t attend in person, please consider making a non-attendance donation to help us build a healthier future.

 

Individual tickets are available for $175 per guest, which includes entry, a full dinner, and participation in the auction. We also have a reservation system available with code RESERVE at checkout. With the reservation system only a $50 deposit is due at checkout today, the remaining balance will be invoiced in October 2026. Deposits are nonrefundable and will be converted to a donation if your plans change.

 

We look forward to celebrating with you!

​

 A portion of your ticket is tax-deductible, and you will receive an official tax receipt via email after registration.