Centurions' Rio Carnival to raise funds to reach $500,000 pledge

It’s a costume party with a cause: 250 Centurions and their supporters will raise funds to support the health and well-being of local children during The Great Centurions Carnival — A Rio Good Time.

The event is at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at Kino Sports Complex, 2500 E. Ajo Way.

“People look forward to this event every year, and everyone seems very excited about the Carnival theme. I think it will be a ‘Rio’ good time. I am a firm believer in, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ The theme may have something to do with it, but I think people support us so we can support the charities we choose every year,” said Steve Vorholzer, president of Centurions and chair of the event.

The service group comprised of local business leaders has an ambitious goal for 2022, with plans to raise $500,000 to fulfill commitments to TMC for Children, Literacy Connects, Parent Aid and Imago Dei Middle School.

The Centurions’ donation to TMC for Children marks the third of five consecutive annual pledges totaling $1 million to benefit various projects including the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. The Level III NICU with 41 beds treats 550 babies born prematurely and/or with critical illness annually, according to Jeff Lamie, vice president and chief development officer of TMC Foundation.

“One of many projects funded through the partnership is the small baby unit in the NICU, which cares for babies born at less than 28 weeks of gestation. TMC for Children is the No. 1 birthing center in Southern Arizona, and this unit is critical to the care we deliver as a community hospital,” said Lamie.

The care and treatment provided for infants in the small baby unit is inspirational, according to Donald Drayne, chairman of the board of trustees for TMC Foundation.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

“You can see all that is done for these babies born with issues at 26 or 27 weeks: Through the skill and dedication of clinical staff they make it out of the NICU. It is just a joy to see that happen here. It makes you want to be more involved and move the mission forward to do what is right for this hospital, which in turn helps the people in our community. For 77 years, TMC has been involved in the community; it wants to give back in the truest sense of a community hospital,” said Drayne.

Ultimately, Drayne and Lamie believe that the partnership with Centurions is indicative of the collaborative spirit that has contributed to the success of TMC.

“It has been a long two years with COVID, and this is a time to celebrate and support things that have become even more clear are needed and valued, such as premier health care. I call this a ‘party with a purpose.’ It is a fantastic get-together where people can celebrate but also has deeper meaning. The resources generated speak volumes to what this community is and to what we can accomplish together,” Lamie said.

Vorholzer encourages everyone age 21 and older — from natives to those new to the Old Pueblo — to attend the themed fundraiser that has evolved into a Tucson tradition and raised more than $8 million for local charities over the last 50 years. He said attendees can expect everything from feathers and face paint to live music, casino-style games and entertainment by samba dancers, steel drums and stilt-walkers.

“I am a native Tucsonan, and my wife and I have attended the party almost every year since 1993. It is a ‘can’t-miss event’ as far as I am concerned: It is an institution,” Vorholzer said.