News

December 19, 2025

Celebrating Together

Each year, Trying Together recognizes April as the Month of the Young Child (MOYC) to uplift the incredible work of early childhood educators.

New this year, join us for Celebrating Together, an evening of formal events including a VIP Reception to present the inaugural Governor Josh Shapiro Keystone Award for Early Childhood Advocacy, followed by the 30th Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Educators Dinner, with support from PNC Grow Up Great.

Celebrating Together is currently sold out and we have enacted our waitlist.

Visit the ticket page to be added to the waitlist. You will be contacted if tickets become available.

Join the Waitlist

Details

DATE
Thursday, April 30, 2026

TIME
• VIP Reception | 4:45 – 6:00 p.m. (registration opens at 4:30) | Bridges Ballroom
• Dinner | 5:45 – 9:00 p.m. (registration opens at 5:30) | Event Center

LOCATION
Rivers Casino
777 Casino Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

NOTE: Dinner guests are requested to arrive and be seated for opening remarks by 6:15 p.m. sharp. As an incentive, guests who are checked in and seated by this time will receive extra register-to-win tickets.

VIP Reception

VIP Reception guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, signature cocktails/mocktails, and networking while supporting the work of early childhood educators. As this will be a brief reception, there will be a mix of high-top and seated tables. Please indicate any accessibility needs at the time of registration.

The VIP Reception will be held from 4:45 – 6:00 p.m. (registration opens at 4:30) in the Bridges Ballroom.

Individual Ticket: $350
Group of 5 Tickets: $1,400 (a $350 discount)

NOTE: VIP Reception tickets include complimentary admission to the Dinner immediately following; please indicate during registration whether you will also attend the Dinner. All registrants must provide a unique first name, last name, and email address for their guests. Placeholder information can be used temporarily at the time of registration for unconfirmed guests but must be by Thursday, April 16, 2026. Guests under 21 must have a designated chaperone and be able to provide their information at the time of registration.

VIP Reception Host Committee

Gregg Behr & Yu-Ling Cheng | Executive Director, Grable Foundation; Director, Kidsburgh
Christina Cassotis | CEO, Allegheny County Airport Authority
Rob Cherry | CEO, Partner4Work
Senator Jay Costa | PA State Senator
Dr. Roger W. Davis | President, Community College of Beaver County
Dan Debone | President & CEO, Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Karen Feinstein | President & CEO, Jewish Healthcare Foundation
Bobbi Watt Geer, Ph.D. | President & CEO, United Way of Southwestern PA
Dr. Kathy Humphrey | President, Carlow University
Sara Innamorato | Allegheny County Executive
Bill & Mardi Isler | President and CEO Emeritus, Fred Rogers Productions; Civic Leader & Lifelong Advocate
Dusty Elias Kirk | Partner, Reed Smith LLP
Phil Koch| Vice President, Policy and Community Impact, The Pittsburgh Foundation
Shujuane L. Martin | President & CEO, The Private Industry Council

Dan Onorato | EVP and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Highmark Health
Mayor Corey O’Connor & Katie O’Connor | Mayor, Pittsburgh; Principal, Jackson Lewis
Trenna Passalacqua | Chief Executive Officer, Blueprints
David Roger | President & CEO, Hillman Foundation
Kendra Ross, Ph.D. | Director of Social Impact, Duolingo
LaTrenda Leonard Sherrill | Board President, Trying Together
Jada Shirriel | CEO, Healthy Start, Inc.
Darrell Smalley | Office Managing Partner, Global Client Service Partner – Tax, EY Pittsburgh
Matt Smith | CGO, Allegheny Conference
Paul Siefken | President & CEO, Fred Rogers Productions
Rob Vescio | Partner, C & G Strategies
Anna Adams-Sarthou & Kevin Washo | Principal, A.S. Communications & Senior Vice Chancellor for External Affairs, University of Pittsburgh
Senator Lindsey Williams | PA State Senator
Jake Witherell | COO, Schell Games

30th Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Educators Dinner

The Dinner will immediately follow the VIP Reception with hors d’oeuvres, food stations, music, register-to-win opportunities, photo booths, and more.

The Dinner will be held from 5:45 – 9:00 p.m. (registration opens at 5:30) in the Event Center.

Educator Ticket: $30
Not-for-Profit Partner Ticket: $75
General Admission Ticket: $150

NOTE: Educators will be asked to provide the name of their early learning program during registration to be eligible for the educator ticket rate. All registrants must provide a unique first name, last name, and email address for their guests. Placeholder information can be used temporarily at the time of registration for unconfirmed guests but must be by Thursday, April 16, 2026. Guests under 21 must have a designated chaperone and be able to provide their information at the time of registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What information is required for registration?
A: All registrants must provide a unique first name, last name, and email address for their guests. However, placeholder information can be used temporarily at the time of registration for unconfirmed guests, and registrants must update all guest information through their confirmation email by Thursday, April 16 at 5 p.m. Additionally, educators will be required to indicate their early learning program, and guests under 21 must provide a designated chaperone at the time of registration. Please refer to our registration guide for support.

Q: What payment methods are accepted when registering?
A: The TicketStripe platform accepts Credit/Debit Card; Apple Pay and Google Pay (when enabled on devices); and ACH payments through Stripe. If your program would prefer to be invoiced, please contact Gabby Lisella at gabby@tryingtogether.org and she can assist you with registration.

Q: Is there an minimum age requirement for this event?
A: Yes. Adults 18 and over are welcome. However, anyone under 21 must be accompanied by a designated chaperone who is 21 and over. Anyone younger than 21 must enter the Casino through The Landing Hotel entrance with their designated chaperone. When parking in the garage, guests under 21 and their chaperone will need to exit the casino and enter through the hotel entrance. Signage will be provided, and staff available for assistance. All guests should be prepared to show ID upon entry.

Q: Will there be reserved seating?
A: VIP Reception guests who are attending the Dinner will have reserved seating in the Event Center. Dinner registrants who have at least 10 confirmed guests (by April 16 at 5 p.m.) will be contacted before the event and provided with a designated table number to share with their guests. A seating chart will be available for reference the day of the event. All other available seating will be on a first come, first served basis.

Q: Will parking be available?
A: Yes! Free parking will be available in the Rivers Casino parking garage. Valet parking is also available for a $12 fee.

Q: Is there a dress code?
A: It is recommended that VIP Reception guests dress in cocktail attire. While we have never had a formal dress code for the Dinner, many have used it as an opportunity to dress up. We recognize that many people will be coming from work directly to the event. Please dress in what is most comfortable and convenient for you!

Q: Can my dietary restrictions be accommodated?
A: Yes! Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options will be available. Certified kosher meals can be made available upon request at the time of registration.

Q: What accommodations are available for accessibility needs?
A: Rivers Casino is ADA compliant. Language interpretation and audio/visual assistance can be provided upon request when indicated at the time of registration. VIP Reception and Dinner seating will be reserved for those who indicate accessibility needs at the time of registration.

Q: What is your refund policy?
A: Celebrating Together is a fundraising event to support Trying Together. No refunds will be provided after VIP Reception or Dinner registration is confirmed, or in the event of a no-show. If the event is cancelled, only VIP Reception ticket holders will receive a refund of the fair market value of their ticket ($250 dollars).

Questions?

For questions, contact Gabby Lisella, special events manager at gabby@tryingtogether.org or 412.204.6415.

Donations

The fair market values of Celebrating Together tickets are $250 ($350), and $150 for the VIP Reception and Dinner respectively. To keep the event accessible for all, and to honor early childhood educators, a $30 ticket is available to educators who designate their early learning program at the time of registration. The $100 “donation”, and $120 “donation” generated from VIP Reception and Dinner general admission tickets respectively assists Trying Together with covering costs associated with hosting this event. Trying Together welcomes donations of any amount that you are able to make in order to make both this event, and the work of Trying Together a success!

If you are interested in purchasing tickets to donate to an early educator, please contact Gabby Lisella at gabby@tryingtogether.org.

Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities

Businesses, organizations, and individuals can purchase full-color advertisements to appear in the 2026 Celebrating Together program book. Want to honor an early childhood educator? Add their name to the Recognition List in the program book! See program book ad information to learn more.

For more information on how to sponsor the VIP Reception. please see our VIP Reception Sponsor Sheet. To sponsor the Celebration Dinner, see our Celebration Dinner Sponsor Sheet.

For questions, contact Maria Pisano, director of community relations, at maria@tryingtogether.org or 412.206.1053.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Premier
Duolingo
ELRC Region 5

Supporting
PNC
The Grable Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
University of Pittsburgh
UPMC
AT&T
Highmark Health

Advocate
Carlow University
Early Childhood Funders Alliance

Champion
Allegheny Conference

News

April 16, 2025

Trying Together Honors Early Childhood Educators at Annual Celebration Dinner

Nearly 800 early childhood educators and advocates joined Trying Together on April 10 for its Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Educators Dinner at Acrisure Stadium.

The Westinghouse Academy marching band greeted attendees as they arrived at the event, which included a dinner, photo booth, raffle prizes, and networking. The formal presentation featured a video from Governor Josh Shapiro, who spoke about the importance of early childhood education in Pennsylvania and proposed investments for recruitment and retention.

Honorees

Trying Together Executive Director Cara Ciminillo paid tribute to the dinner’s two honorees – Riverview Children’s Center Executive Director Betty Lisowski and Dr. Aisha White, program director for the Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education (P.R.I.D.E.) at the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development.

“With more than 40 years’ experience, Betty has been the catalyst for sustained, high-quality early care and education and expansion at Riverview Children’s Center,” Ciminillo said of Lisowski. “Betty has positively impacted thousands of children, families, and colleagues through the high-quality care and education Riverview provides while also being a working mother of three.”

Lisowski’s co-workers at Riverview paid homage to her work at the center in a video. Lisowski cited author and speaker Jim Collins’ quote that “great vision without great people is irrelevant” in describing those with whom she has worked in early childhood education.

“I am truly blessed to have spent my entire 43-year career in this field,” she said. “It has been a journey I wouldn’t trade for anything. I’ve loved the work, but more importantly I’ve loved and cherished the people I’ve had the privilege to work with.”

Ciminillo noted Dr. White’s work in helping children find pride in their racial identity as well as her decades-long engagement in the arts, social activism and work involving racial awareness.

During a speech following her own tribute video, White noted that many children in America are struggling, citing Black infant mortality rates that are nearly two times higher than the national average for all races or ethnicities and the fact that 11 million U.S. children live in poverty and 400,000 in foster care.

“While things are not good for children across the board, there’s an extra burden on children of color – and especially Black children – and that’s the burden of racism,” she said. “With respect to race, what we can do is pretty simple: Support children’s positive racial identity development in as many ways as we can, as often as we can, and as effectively as we can.”

Ciminillo also recognized two regional educators – Lesely Crawford, executive director of the ABK Learning and Development Center, and Eva Wood, executive director of Ligonier Valley Learning Center in Latrobe – who were recent honorees at the PennAEYC Voice for Children Awards.

Valuing Educators

During a toast to all of the early childhood educators in attendance, Ciminillo said that a society that values its children must also value those who care for them.

“Tonight, we gather during the Month of the Young Child not just to celebrate, but to honor you,” she said. “Your work is essential. It always has been. But more and more, the world is beginning to understand what you’ve long known – that care is not just an individual act of kindness, it is a public good.”

News

December 19, 2024

Registration Open for Trying Together’s Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Educators Dinner

Trying Together will host its Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Educators Dinner on April 10. Registration is now open for the event.

Learn More

The dinner is held to celebrate early childhood educators during April’s Month of the Young Child. The event includes a dinner, photo booth, prizes, and more.

This year’s dinner will run from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10 at Acrisure Stadium, located at 100 Art Rooney Ave. in Pittsburgh.

Individual tickets are $15 and groups of 10 may purchase tickets at a discounted rate of $135. Registrants are encouraged to consider the value of individual and group rate tickets – $140 and $1,400, respectively – and contribute more if they are willing and able to do so.

This is a high-demand event, so seating will be based on a first-come, first-served basis that evening and reserved tables will not be available. Free parking will be available for guests.

Registration will close when capacity is met or by March 28.

Businesses, organizations, and individuals can recognize early childhood caregivers by purchasing full-color advertisements to appear in the 2025 Annual Celebration of Early Childhood Educators Dinner program book. The deadline to reserve an ad or name in the recognition list is Friday, January 17.

Those interested in attending can register now. Any questions should be emailed to info@tryingtogether.org.

Month of the Young Child

First established in 1971 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Week of the Young Child was an opportunity to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

Due to growing interest and focus, Trying Together later designated the entire month of April as the Month of the Young Child. It is recognized as a time during which the dedicated work of early educators is promoted for the essential role that it plays in society.