2008 Board of Directors

The Centurions are an associate support group of Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital with an active membership of 100 of some of the community's most prominent business and civic leaders. The name was chosen to honor the one hundred years of service given Southern Arizona by Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital and to reflect the members' business and civic leadership in the community by the historical reference to the Roman Centurion (a leader of 100 soldiers).

The group was founded in 1969 to help raise money for St. Mary's Burn Center which, at that time, was in need of support. Through the efforts of the Centurions and the generosity of the Tucson community, the Burn Center gradually became more established and the need for support diminished.

In 1983, the Hospice program came to St. Mary's in dire need of assistance. The hospital at that time requested that the Centurions direct their fund raising efforts to St. Mary's Hospice, as well as other selected hospital projects. These have included a specially equipped van for Carondelet Rehabilitation Services used to transport disabled patients in wheelchairs, and a group of computers for Speech Therapy. This year the group is supporting the hospital's Emergency Department.

Since the 1980's, the Centurions have raised over two million dollars for these various projects. The Centurions have just completed a pledge of one million dollars for the Rehab Facility.

Nonprofit Status
The Centurions exist solely for the purpose of raising funds to benefit the St. Mary's Emergency Department and other selected hospital projects.

The annual theme event is the only means of raising funds by the Centurions for the hospital. No other related activities occur through the Centurions. The Centurions derive their nonprofit status from Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital.

The Centurion Event
Each year the CENTURIONS host an annual "Event" attended by over 6,000 people. Every year the event takes on a different theme and is unquestionably one of Southern Arizona's most popular charitable events. To stage a party of this size takes a tremendous amount of volunteer time. Each year thousands of man-hours go into the construction, food preparation and ticket sales for this event.

Planning for the May party begins in November with the selection of a party site and a theme normally chosen to match the site selected. The group has become skilled at taking a novel site and turning it into a unique party such as the El Presidio parking garage in downtown Tucson where the Dragons and Flagons party was held (a medieval fantasy party held in a dungeon).

After the site and theme selection, the event chairman organizes his various committees to begin work in December to plan the logistics of acquiring, delivering and setting up the decorations and entertainment, site maintenance and food and beverage necessary to feed and entertain over 6,000 people.

One of the most time-consuming aspects of planning the party is the solicitation of donations of not only money but also the food and beverage and materials necessary to stage the party. Obviously, the more items that are donated the more successful the fund raising effort becomes, as the money from ticket sales and activities at the Event may then go directly to the hospital.

Recent Centurion Events

2008 “The Great Parrothead Ball”
Theme: Same Latitude New Attitude
Location: Tucson Electric Park

2007 “The 007 Event, A Bond Voyage with a License to Chill”
Theme: James Bond 007
Location: Tucson Electric Park
Operating: $226,061
Net Proceeds: $495,000

2006 “Viva Las Vegas”
Theme: Its Vegas Baby
Location: Tucson Electric Park
Operating: $237,000
Net Proceeds: $430,500

2005 “Pirates of the Catalinas”
Theme: Buccaneers, Wenches & Grog
Location: Tucson Electric Park
Operating: $199,000
Net Proceeds: $374,500

2004 “West of the Pecos Fracas”
Theme: Old West
Location: Rillito Downs Race Track
Operating: $220,000
Net Proceeds: $324,000

2003 “The Great Reggae Melee! Jamaica Me Crazy Mon!”
Theme: Reggae
Location: Pima County Fairgrounds
Operating: $219,000
Net Proceeds: $185,000

2002 “Heroes & Heroines, An Unbridled Idol Revival!”
Theme: Heros & Heroines
Location: Tucson Electric Park
Operating: $196,000
Net Proceeds: $217,000

2001 “Mardi Gras 2001 A Ragin Cajun Occasion”
Theme: Mardi Gras
Location: Tucson Electric Park
Operating: $174,000
Net Proceeds: $245,000

2000 “Toga 2000”
Theme: Toga Party for the New Millenium
Location: Tucson Electric Park
Operating: $180,000
Net Proceeds: $236,000

1999 “Rock at Woodstock”
Theme: Woodstock Nation for the New Generation
Location: Tucson Electric Park
Operating: $178,000
Net Proceeds: $200,000

1998 “The Great Base Ball, A Diamond Theme on a Field of Dreams...”
Theme: Baseball
Location: Tucson Electric Park
Operating: $134,000
Net Proceeds: $200,000

1997 “Safari So Goodie - It's a Jungle Out There”
Theme: Jungle Adventure
Location: Hi Corbett Field
Operating: $123,426
Net Proceeds: $172,683

1996 “An Olympic Tribute 1996 - The Great Marathon Decathlon”
Theme: Olympics
Location: Sportspark
Operating: $115,382
Net Proceeds: $148,135

1995 “The Great Silver Screen Movie Character Scene”
Theme: Movie Characters
Location: Hi Corbett Field
Operating: $105,637
Net Proceeds: $159,712

1994 “The Great Silver Anniversary Event”
Theme: Still Alive After 25
Location: Hi Corbett Field
Operating: $93,440
Net Proceeds: $100,000

1993 “The Great Outer Space Disgrace”
Theme: Intergalactic Gaiety
Location: Gates Learjet Hangar
Operating: $84,756
Net Proceeds: $100,000

1992 “The Great South Pacific Ocean Commotion!”
Theme: Polynesia
Location: Hi Corbett Field
Operating: $68,049
Net Proceeds: $100,000

1991 “The Great Raucous Caucus Debaucous - An Unconventional Political Convention”
Theme: Political
Location: Tucson Convention Center
Operating: $62,870
Net Proceeds: $100,000

1990 “The Late Great Rock N Roll Estate”
Theme: Rock Music
Location: Hi Corbett Field

1989 “The Great Wild and Wooly Western Wound Up”
Theme: Old West
Location: Old Tucson

1988 “The Great Times Square Affair”
Theme: The Big Apple
Location: Williams Center

1987 “The Great White Hat and Dirty Rat Format”
Theme: Good Guys & Bad Guys
Location: Pima County Fairgrounds

1986 “The Great Downtown Clown Around”
Theme: A Circus Party
Location: Tucson Community Center

1985 “The Great Funny Paper Caper”
Theme: Comic Characters

1984 “The Great Flying Machine Scene”
Theme: Wright Brothers to The Right Stuff
Location: Gates LearJet Hangar

1983 “Dragons and Flagons”
Theme: A Medieval Fantasy Party
Location: Downtown Underground Parking Garage

1982 “Its The Real Sting”
Theme: The Sting
Location: Rillito Racetrack

1981 “The Great Daisy Mae Melee”

1980 “The Great Caezars Seizure Celebration”

1979 “The Great Mash Bash”

1978 “The Great Train Junction Function”

1977 “The Great King Kong Caper”

1976 “The Great Wing Ding Airport Party”

1975 “The Great Depression Party of 1975”

1974 “The Great Gatsby”

1973 “NO EVENT”

1972 “NO EVENT”

1971 “Premier Showing of Cabaret / A Theatre Party”

1970 “Professional Bowling Tournament”

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