Gala

Join us November 21 for our grand celebration of nursing at the Foundation’s Annual Gala! Camaraderie with long-missed colleagues, recognition of the incredible accomplishments of Virginia nurses with our 40 Under 40 awards, accolades to legislator advocates for nurses and more… It’s all on the evening’s agenda!

Event Description
Pricing
Speaker Information
Sponsors

About the VNF Gala

November 21, 2026 | Short Pump, Virginia

We can’t wait to welcome about 550 guests to this celebratory evening! In addition to live musical entertainment, we will be recognizing a host of Virginia nurses with our 40 Under 40 Awards! Join us at the beautiful Hilton Hotel & Spa, Short Pump the evening of November 21 for this grand celebration of nursing!

Evening Program:
6 - 7pm: Reception & Online Auction
7 - 10pm: Dinner & Awards Program

What Our Award Nominators Say:

"This individual designed and produced prototypes of see-through masks for a deaf husband to be able to read nurses’ lips while his wife was in the hospital delivering their first child. When their nurse came in with the first mask, the couple was taken aback and the husband began to cry. He mentioned that often in his life people don’t take the time to try to communicate with him or dismiss him because they don’t understand. Each prototype that arrived via a new nurse, the husband would discuss ways it could be improved and as a collective team they arrived at the mask now known as ‘Will’s View.’"

Award Recipient - Lori Holleman
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital

"She wrote an article about the “haunting irony” of 2020 being the “Year of the Nurse” and COVID-19. The many days she spent writing the article was an emotional and cathartic journey and she did her best to honor the hundreds of nurses she has represented over the years as well as their unique stories and struggles that only she was privy to in her trusted role as legal counsel. She has remained un-wavered in her determination to be a relied upon advocate and resource for Virginia’s nurses through these difficult times. Her article received high reviews and was picked up for publishing in both of the primary medical/legal publications in Virginia, Virginia Lawyers Weekly and the Virginia Medical Law Report."

Award Recipient - Eileen Talamante
Goodman Allen Donnelly PLLC

"This nurse developed a creative way to allow patients on a mechanical ventilator to hear their loved ones’ voices. Family members would call and record messages to send their loved ones, and then she and the rest of the team would place the recorders in a stuffed animal that is kept with the patient at all times. Nurses would then play the recording for patients any time they were in their room. A staff member noted, "The team can’t help but believe it was the patient's ability to hear their loved ones that played a role in their recovery.".

Award Recipient - Michelle Vaughan
Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital

"She immediately volunteered to work a drive thru clinic serving the veteran population at the start of the pandemic. She did not hesitate to put herself at risk when COVID struck her city and facility; she was one of the first volunteers. She further volunteered to respond to the COVID-19 crisis outside of the Richmond area. She deployed to Spring City, Pennsylvania where she selflessly served at a veteran’s skilled nursing community living center for five weeks in conjunction with the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System where she took care of 25 COVID positive patients."

Award Recipient - Adena Mahini
Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC

"This individual was asked to serve as the George Washington nursing school representative for the University Pandemic Planning Team, and quickly rose to a leadership role as co-chair of the Health & Wellness team. She was tapped to start up a testing site in Ashburn, Virginia to test 550 people weekly, including 430 nursing students, faculty and staff. In only two weeks, she had to determine resource needs and staffing plans, hire staff, determine faculty needs with the dean, assure a student nursing education and training plan, and also integrate the testing center processes with the student nurse experience."

Award Recipient - Dr. Karen Drenkard
George Washington University

Pricing

Opening Late Summer / Early Fall 2026

Gala tickets can be purchased individually or by table. Tables seat up to 10 attendees and are $1,500.00. Individual ticket(s) are $150.00/person.
If you need assistance, please contact VNA & VNF Office Manager, Linda McKay.

10-Seat Table

$1,500

Coming Soon!

Individual Tickets

$150

Coming Soon!

Thank you to our 2026 Gala Sponsors!

Premier Sponsor

Diamond Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Sponsor Opportunities

Sponsor in Just a Few Clicks!

As a sponsor, we offer the opportunity to showcase your corporate social responsibility, increase brand awareness, and build a positive image within your community. With your sponsorship contribution, we can continue to fund critical programs and services, as well as raise awareness of our mission and impact.

Whether it's by celebrating with us and 550 nurses at our annual Gala or showing up for important conversations during our conferences and summits, there are a variety of sponsorship options to fit your organization's needs! Top sponsoring organizations are also highlighted in Virginia Nurses Today (circulation 171,000+) and VNA's members-only News Brief. These two publications boast an open rate of greater than 50%! Certain sponsorships are limited to a single organization so don't wait!

For sponsor and exhibitor questions, please contact VNA's Sponsor Engagement & Office Manager Linda McKay, at lmckay@virginianurses.com.

view 2026 gala sponsorships Sign up now

Gala

About the VNF Gala

November 21, 2026 | Short Pump, Virginia

What Our Award Nominators Say:

Award Recipient - Lori Holleman
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital

Award Recipient - Eileen Talamante
Goodman Allen Donnelly PLLC

Award Recipient - Michelle Vaughan
Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital

Award Recipient - Adena Mahini
Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC

Award Recipient - Dr. Karen Drenkard
George Washington University

Pricing

Opening Late Summer / Early Fall 2026

10-Seat Table

Coming Soon!

Individual Tickets

Coming Soon!

Thank you to our 2026 Gala Sponsors!

Premier Sponsor

Diamond Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Sponsor Opportunities

Meet Our Hosts & Honorees

Contact Us

Gala

About the VNF Gala

November 21, 2026 | Short Pump, Virginia

What Our Award Nominators Say:

Award Recipient - Lori HollemanSentara Princess Anne Hospital

Award Recipient - Eileen TalamanteGoodman Allen Donnelly PLLC

Award Recipient - Michelle VaughanBon Secours St. Mary's Hospital

Award Recipient - Adena MahiniHunter Holmes McGuire VAMC

Award Recipient - Dr. Karen DrenkardGeorge Washington University

Pricing

Opening Late Summer / Early Fall 2026

10-Seat Table

Coming Soon!

Individual Tickets

Coming Soon!

Thank you to our 2026 Gala Sponsors!

Premier Sponsor

Diamond Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Sponsor Opportunities

Meet Our Hosts & Honorees

Contact Us

Follow Us

Award Recipient - Lori Holleman
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital

Award Recipient - Eileen Talamante
Goodman Allen Donnelly PLLC

Award Recipient - Michelle Vaughan
Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital

Award Recipient - Adena Mahini
Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC

Award Recipient - Dr. Karen Drenkard
George Washington University