This is Salesianum’s fifth year hosting Salsthon, a dance that raises money for a different organization each year. This year, Salsthon is being sponsored by the St. Patrick’s Center on the East Side of Wilmington. Founded in 1971, St. Patrick’s Center provides emergency food, meals, respite for the homeless, clothing, and transportation for people in need.

The money from Salsthon will provide the St. Patrick’s Center with the option of moving to a larger food distribution facility with ground floor access and a loading dock. Also, this money is being put towards renovating the food distribution space into medical offices. By doing this, St. Patrick’s hopes to catch people with medical issues before they are forced to go into the hospital and pay large costs for emergency room visits. Many people in this facility are living in what is known as a “food desert”.

St. Patrick’s Center Executive Director, Sr. Danielle Gagnon, said, “The food that we are able to provide our clients is meant to be supplemental, but for many it’s all that they have, and they have to make that food stretch.”

The Salsthon fundraiser is doing its best to raise as much money as possible for the St. Patrick’s Center. Sophomore Grace Jennings said, “I think Salsthon is a great organization and experience for everyone because of the fun it provides for different schools to come together while offering our help to different organizations every year.”

The dance is supported by Salesianum, Padua, and Ursuline and runs from about 10 pm to 5:45 am in Salesianum’s gym, and this year will take place on Saturday, March 18.

Junior Katie Hayes said, “Salsthon is a great way to help an organization such as the St. Patrick’s Center because it is so close to our schools, and it’s a fun way to help others in our community.” One of the Student Council executives for Padua, Amanda Haggarty, said, “Through the help of Salesianum, Padua, and Ursuline, Salsthon 2017 is striving to benefit St. Patrick’s Center……It’s more than a dance.”