The McConnell Foundation

08/25/2026

🌴✈️ SILENT AUCTION SNEAK PEEK: Your Choice of Paradise! ✈️🌴

If our Palm Royale gala has you dreaming of a tropical escape, this silent auction package is for you. 🌺

You will have the opportunity to choose your own island adventure—a 4-night stay for four guests in a luxury private residence in one of these beautiful destinations:

🌴 St. Maarten — sophisticated marina living, upscale resort amenities & European island flair
🌿 Costa Rica — lush rainforest, sweeping ocean views & adventure at Los Sueños Resort & Marina (the Billfish Capital of the World)
🏝️ Barbados — beachfront serenity, crystal-clear Caribbean waters & effortless island elegance

The package includes a luxury 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom private residence with spacious living areas and access to incredible destination amenities.

Three destinations to choose from. Four nights. Four guests. ONE very difficult decision. 😍

This is just one of the incredible packages you’ll have the chance to bid on at our Fifth Annual Shining Stars Gala on September 19th!

Come for paradise. Bid with purpose. 💗🌴✨

08/24/2026

✨ SHINING STARS LEGACY WALL SPONSOR ✨

We are incredibly grateful to Payne Law Firm for sponsoring one of the most meaningful parts of our entire evening—our Shining Stars Legacy Wall. 🎗️💛

Our gala may be filled with beautiful décor, incredible food, music and celebration, but this wall is the reason we are all there.

Our 'Shining Stars' are the namesake and the heart of our annual Shining Stars Gala. They are the courageous children who have faced pediatric cancer—the children who are still fighting, those who are celebrating life beyond cancer, and those whose light continues to shine on. ✨

The Legacy Wall gives each of our guests a moment to stop, see their faces, learn their names and remember exactly why this night matters. They are the heart behind The McConnell Foundation, the heart behind this gala, and the reason we continue fighting for better treatments and brighter futures for children battling cancer.

Thank you, Payne Law Firm, for helping us honor our Shining Stars and for putting your support behind the true meaning of this evening. Your sponsorship means more than simply supporting an event - it helps us make sure their stories, their courage and their light are never forgotten.💛

08/22/2026

✨🌴 FOUR SATURDAYS FROM NOW…🌴✨

We will be dressed in our best, raising a glass, and coming together for one incredible night with the power to help change the future for children battling cancer. 💚

Yes, it’s an incredible night. The cocktails, the dinner, the dancing, the auction, the Palm Royale glamour… but at the heart of it all are our Shining Stars — the children who have battled pediatric cancer, those still fighting, the survivors we celebrate, and the precious children whose legacies continue to inspire us.

Every ticket. Every sponsorship. Every auction bid. Every person in that room helps us continue our mission of funding pediatric cancer research at MUSC.

Four Saturdays to go. 💫
We cannot wait to see you in paradise. 🌴🥂

📅 September 19, 2026
📍 Sweetgrass Inn at Wild Dunes
✨ Black Tie
🌴 Palm Royale: Paradise with a Purpose

08/20/2026

🌴 GRAND PALM SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT 🌴

We are so grateful to recognize John & Carol Bogosian as a Grand Palm Sponsor of this year’s Shining Star Palm Royale Gala! ✨

John and Carol have been long-time supporters of The McConnell Foundation, standing alongside us year after year as we work to fund lifesaving pediatric cancer research at MUSC. Their continued generosity and belief in our mission mean more to our family and our foundation than we can say. 💛

It’s sponsors like John and Carol who make this evening - and the impact that comes from it - possible. Thank you for continuing to show up for our Shining Stars and helping us create brighter futures for children battling cancer. 🎗️🌴

08/18/2026

LAST CALL! 🤩

TODAY is your last chance to grab tickets at the current price for Palm Royale: Paradise with a Purpose Gala! 🌴✨

🎟️ Ticket prices increase TOMORROW!
BUY NOW 👉 https://app.betterunite.com/themcconnellfoundation-themcconnellfoundations5thannualshiningstarsgala

Don’t wait—get your tickets today before prices go up! 🌴🥂✨

08/13/2026

📣 If you've been waiting to buy your tickets, now is the time!!

You have one week to lock in current pricing for the Lowcountry's most glamorous night! The Fifth Annual Shining Stars Gala brings Palm Royale to the Lowcountry — an evening of Palm Beach glamour, live auction, dinner, and dancing, all for kids fighting cancer at MUSC and across the world. 🌴🎗

Same unforgettable night. Better price. But only until the 18th!

Grab yours now — https://bit.ly/4urYDvr. 💛

08/10/2026

Thank you, First Financial Group, for joining us as a Grand Palm Sponsor of the 2026 Shining Stars Gala! 🤩

Our friends at First Financial Group have spent more than four decades helping families protect and build what matters most - and this year, they're extending that same heart to our MUSC families. As one of the largest independently owned financial services firms of its kind, with a Charleston office right on Morrison Drive, FFG's mission is helping people live great financial lives. We're honored to have them shining with us as a Grand Palm Sponsor. 🌴

And here's what makes this one extra special — First Financial Group is donating their VIP table to MUSC families, giving parents and caregivers a night of celebration they truly deserve 🥺 That's generosity twice over. 💛

We're so grateful for FFG in support of the kids at MUSC! 🎗

🌴

08/06/2026

POV: It's September 19th, the champagne is 🤌🏽, the music is 🙌🏽, and you're in the room where it happens. ✨

The Shining Stars Gala is 6 weeks away — an evening of Palm Royale glamour, live auction bidding wars, and dancing until they kick us out 😉 All of it for the kids at MUSC 🎗

Last year sold out. This year is moving even faster. 🌴

Grab your tickets now — https://bit.ly/ShiningStarsGala2026

08/04/2026

🤩 A huge thank-you to Bill Payne and the team at First Home Mortgage for their Grand Palm sponsorship of this year's Shining Stars Gala!

Bill isn't just a Grand Palm Sponsor - he's a neighbor. A Mount Pleasant resident since 2004, Bill and his team at First Home Mortgage have helped countless families across Charleston find their way home, with the kind of hands-on, pick-up-the-phone service you don't often find anymore.

Their support helps fund pediatric cancer research at MUSC - research that gives kids more birthdays, more beach days, and more of everything that matters. Thank you for standing with us for the kids at MUSC Children’s Health 💛

08/04/2026