Gala 2026

filled champagne glasses on a black table during the 2025 LFA Gala

Gala 2026 text with house and floating heart shapes

The Heart of Campus

Thank you for making Gala 2026, in support of new faculty housing, such a tremendous success. The commitment our community made to LFA’s Gala project on Saturday night was overwhelming, and we are deeply grateful for your support of the Heart of Campus.

If you didn't get the chance to support the project at Gala, there's still time! Make your gift below.

Donate to the Heart of Campus

Donate to the Heart of Campus

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Gala 2026 Donation Form

The Heart of Campus

This year’s gala will benefit a new faculty housing project at LFA. Your support will:

Enhance campus life and student well-being by creating a supportive environment for learning and growth.
Strengthen faculty–student connections through greater on-campus faculty presence.
Attract and retain exceptional educators with high-quality, family-friendly housing.
Advance LFA’s standing among top boarding schools by increasing on-campus faculty residency toward the 90% benchmark of top boarding schools.

Join us in making a great impact on the LFA community through supporting its most committed and essential members—our faculty!

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If you are eligible for a matching gift through your employer, please contact your Human Resources dept for more information.

My gift is anonymous:

Yes

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Welcome

New Faculty Housing Project at LFA

LFA faculty nurture and educate students in the classrooms, on stage, in dormitories, and on playing fields, providing around-the-clock care and supervision to our community of 450 young people. Faculty are the mentors, advisors, and the surrogate parents that students rely on, and require, during these formative teenage years.

Your support will:

Enhance campus life and student well-being: More residential faculty create a safer, more supportive environment where students feel known, cared for, and guided throughout their boarding school experience.
Strengthen faculty–student connections: Increased on-campus housing allows more faculty to be present and engaged with students beyond the classroom, deepening mentorship, supervision, and community connection seven days a week.
Attract and retain exceptional educators: High-quality, family-friendly housing helps LFA recruit and keep top-tier faculty in a competitive housing market, ensuring long-term academic and residential excellence.
Advance LFA’s standing among top boarding schools: Expanding faculty housing moves LFA closer to the 90% on-campus faculty benchmark of the top boarding schools in the country, reinforcing its reputation for educational quality and residential engagement.

Project Info

To answer the need for more on-campus faculty housing, the Academy is proceeding with a plan to add three residential buildings, two duplexes and one triplex (seven units total), west of Marshall Field House, with proceeds from the 2026 Gala helping to jump-start this important project. Expanding faculty housing strengthens LFA’s position as a leading boarding school, bringing us closer to peer institutions nationwide and reinforcing our competitiveness for the most talented students and educators.

overhead campus view with marked area for new faculty housing

Aerial view of future Lakeview Village location

Sponsor the Event

Business Sponsorship & Family Patron Levels

Faculty First Corporate Sponsor: $15,000

Limited to 2 opportunities

Prominent recognition in event communications including event webpage and emails
Optional 90-second video advertisement (donor provided) during the event program and on event website
A sponsored social media post on LFA’s Facebook and Instagram promoting Gala
Premier seating for 10 guests
Exclusive signature cocktail menu with dedicated server
Exclusive curated wine selection for your table

LFA Legacy Builder Sponsor: $10,000

Acknowledgement on Gala website
Acknowledgement during program with logo/family photo on screen and verbal recognition during Gala event
Premier seating for 10 guests
Exclusive signature cocktail menu with dedicated server
Exclusive curated wine selection for your table

Patron of Educators Sponsor: $5,000

Limited to 5 Patron of Educator opportunities
Help underwrite Faculty and Staff Gala Tickets

Acknowledgement on Gala website
Acknowledgement during program with logo/family photo on screen
Premier seating for 8 guests
Exclusive signature cocktail menu

Backstage Technology Sponsor: $2,500

Help underwrite the audio-visual requirements and mobile bidding technology for Gala 2026

Acknowledgement on Gala website
Acknowledgement during program (logo/family name on screen)
Signage at event check-in
Premier seating for 4 guests

Community Builder Sponsor: $1,000

Acknowledgement on Gala website
Acknowledgement during program (logo/family name on screen)
Premier seating for 2 guests

Gala Co-Chairs

Messages from Our Gala Co-Chairs

gala 2025 parent co-sponsor the Brandt Lange Family

A message from the Gala 2026 Parent Co-Chairs

LFA is a place very special to us, we are excited to serve as parent co-chairs for LFA’s Gala 2026!...

gala parent co-sponsor families alternating between Brewster and Cressey family photos

A message from the Gala 2026 Alumni Co-Chairs

We are excited to serve as alumni co-chairs for LFA’s Gala 2026!...

Support the Project

Required

Gala 2026 Donation Form

The Heart of Campus

This year’s gala will benefit a new faculty housing project at LFA. Your support will:

Enhance campus life and student well-being by creating a supportive environment for learning and growth.
Strengthen faculty–student connections through greater on-campus faculty presence.
Attract and retain exceptional educators with high-quality, family-friendly housing.
Advance LFA’s standing among top boarding schools by increasing on-campus faculty residency toward the 90% benchmark of top boarding schools.

Join us in making a great impact on the LFA community through supporting its most committed and essential members—our faculty!

Namerequired

First Name

Last Name

Email Addressrequired

My gift to support Gala 2026 is:required

My gift will be matched by my employer:

Yes

Employer name:

If you are eligible for a matching gift through your employer, please contact your Human Resources dept for more information.

My gift is anonymous:

Yes

Addressrequired

Cityrequired

Staterequired

Ziprequired

Country

Cell Phone

Comments/Notes

Please write any comments related to your gift here.

Payment Information

Please select a payment typerequired

Credit Card

Billing Addressrequired

Address

City

State/Province

Country

Zip/Postal Code

Cardholder Namerequired

First

Last

Expirationrequired

Month

Year

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Gala 2026?

At LFA’s annual Gala, members of the community gather, celebrate, and raise funds to support a project selected by the Board of Trustees to enhance the LFA experience. This year’s Gala initiative is to support new faculty housing. We invite you to support this important project.

What is the format of the evening?

This year's event will start in the Cressey Center for the Arts with a cocktail hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by the program, paddle raise and student entertainment in the Cressey Theater. Then we will move to Reid Hall for a seated dinner. At the paddle raise, the auctioneer will invite you to raise your paddle to support the Gala project. The auctioneer will recognize donations by calling out paddle numbers. Alternatively, you will have the opportunity to donate through a mobile app on your phone, which includes an anonymous feature as well.

Who will be in attendance at the Gala?

Gala is an annual fundraising event that welcomes our LFA community at large – parents, alumni, grandparents, alumni parents, and friends – to celebrate with LFA faculty, staff, and trustees.

What should I wear?

Please wear your evening cocktail attire.

Where is Gala 2026 held?

Gala is held on the campus of Lake Forest Academy. This year’s event will feature a cocktail hour, program and paddle raise in the Cressey Center for the Arts, followed by dinner in Reid Hall.
Campus Map

Where do I park for the event?

LFA provides complimentary valet parking for this event in the parking lot of the Reyes Science Center. You can feel free as well to self park in the Atlass, Crown, or Warner parking lots.

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The Heart of Campus

Donate to the Heart of Campus

Gala 2026 Donation Form

Payment Information

Welcome

New Faculty Housing Project at LFA

Your support will:

Project Info

Sponsor the Event

Business Sponsorship & Family Patron Levels

Faculty First Corporate Sponsor: $15,000

LFA Legacy Builder Sponsor: $10,000

Patron of Educators Sponsor: $5,000

Backstage Technology Sponsor: $2,500

Community Builder Sponsor: $1,000

Gala Co-Chairs

Messages from Our Gala Co-Chairs

Support the Project

Gala 2026 Donation Form

Payment Information

Frequently Asked Questions