Toast to the Coast Celebrates 75 Years of Coast Episcopal School
CES Students working on Diamonds for Jubilee Decor: CES’ Seemann Makerspace provided the perfect tools required for its students to craft three-dimensional diamonds that will provide sparkle to the October 17th Toast to the Coast, 845 East Scenic Drive, Pass Christian
Toast to the Coast, the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s signature dining, art, and entertainment gala, will celebrate 75 years of academic excellence offered at Coast Episcopal School. A Diamond Jubilee, the 42nd annual fundraiser for the independent school located in Long Beach will be held at 845 East Scenic Drive, Pass Christian on Friday, October 17, 2025.
Coordinated by an all-volunteer committee, the lavish event will celebrate the school’s history and commemorate its founder, the late Reverend Charles Johnson, who, as rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Bay St. Louis in 1950, opened the Christ Episcopal Day School with a class of 17 children in the church’s Parish Hall.
From Father Johnson’s early vision and leadership to the continued involvement of his children and grandchildren, the family’s presence has remained a steadfast part of the CES story. Today, Father Johnson’s great-grandchildren proudly attend Coast Episcopal, carrying forward a legacy of learning, service, and devotion that continues to enrich our school and inspire all who are part of its mission.
Diamond Jubilee attendees will find the commemorative area on the right side of the gala grounds immediately after event check in at the gate entrance. Among the items of nostalgia will be photo albums, trophies, an original Christ Episcopal Day School pennant, and a school desk from the 1950’s, on loan from Hannah Johnson Ladner, who, along with her sister, Joy Johnson Weems, are granddaughters of Father Johnson.
Father Johnson, lovingly referred to as Father J, will be honored by a Memorial Wall constructed by his son and Hannah and Joy’s father, Richard Johnson, featuring Father J’s portrait and black and white photos from the 1950s.
Toast to the Coast is the major, annual fundraising event for Coast Episcopal School. A Diamond Jubilee will kick off with a 6 pm Patron Party, followed by the Main Event at 7 PM. Tickets can be purchased at toasttickets.org. Patron Tickets are available for $500 for two people; Main Event, $150 per person. Attendees must be 21 years of age to attend.
The gala is multifaceted. Attendees will enjoy cuisine offered by nearly 30 restaurants; several open, full-service bars; a silent auction and raffle; Children in the Arts installation; and music by Crow the Culprit, an original band from the Mississippi Coast that combines elements of Americana Rock, Folk Music and a long, shared history of musical experiences.
600+ guests are expected to attend the October 17th gala, which, in addition to ticket sales, is produced with the support of individual donors/patrons, in kind and corporate sponsors, the latter of which includes Seemann Composites, D.A. Biglane Foundation, Hancock Whitney, Digital Gem, and Neco’s Family Market.
In addition to ticket sales, corporate sponsorship and personal donations, fundraising activities include a diamond-themed raffle and silent auction, both of which can be accessed on toasttickets.org, and even those who choose not to attend Friday’s event can participate in the online fun.
This year’s Toast to the Coast Raffle Prize is a stunning, diamond flex bracelet, valued at $5,400, with 5-carat total weight lab diamonds set in 14K white gold, generously donated by Horne Custom Jewelry, 1500 Pass Road, Gulfport
In celebration of the school’s 75th Diamond Jubilee anniversary, Gulfport’s Horne Custom Jewelry donated a gorgeous diamond bracelet, with a value of $5,400, for the event’s Brilliance & Beyond Raffle. Raffle tickets can be purchased (one for $50, two for $75) right now on the event’s website: toasttickets.org The winning raffle ticket will be drawn at the October 17th gala, and the winner does not need to be present to win.
The ever- popular on-line, silent auction, which will be available for bidding Friday, October 10, will feature great items, including: a braces package from Ledoux & Michaelis Orthodontics: golf experiences at Fallen Oak, The Bridges, The Oaks, Shell Landing, and Diamondhead; an emerald and diamond ring from Friend & Company; artwork by MS Gulf Coast Artists Michelle Allee, Lisa Watson, Aaron Whitney, Suzanne Findeisen, and Marian Knobbe; a gift certificate from Bay St. Louis artist and photographer Ann Madden; and a Saints Getaway for two with game tickets and a night at the Windsor Court Hotel.
Coast Episcopal School’s focus on the arts is reflected in creative components of the gala. The silent auction features pieces of unique art created by every CES class (Toddlers, Preschool, and Kindergarten through Sixth Grades) that attendees bid on throughout the evening.
CES parents also have the opportunity to purchase beautiful, 5×7 Walter Anderson block prints that are silk-screen with black ink on heavy-weight ivory linen paper and then lovingly brought to life by CES students through watercolor.
Each year, Toast to the Coast features works created by MS Gulf Coast Schools in its Children in the Arts display, available for viewing during the Diamond Jubilee. Participating student artists are nominated each year by their schools and, after the event, participate in a workshop and reception at the Coast Episcopal School’s Gail Keenan Art Center which, this year, will be held on Saturday, December 13. This year’s Children in the Arts program is sponsored by The McMullan/O’Connor Family Fund, with material support by BLICK Art Materials.
All Diamond Jubilee profits will support the educational experience of the students of Coast Episcopal School. Serving children ages 18 months through sixth grade, the independent school, located at 5065 Espy Avenue in Long Beach, is committed to providing its students with an unmatched educational experience in an atmosphere that fosters academic and spiritual growth both in and outside the classroom.
The 25-acre campus, in addition to its Toddler, Preschool and newly renovated Elementary School Building, also boasts the Gail Keenan Art Center, which houses the school’s art and music programs and utilizes its signature gallery for professional shows and workshops, and the Seemann Makerspace, which provides modern technology tools that integrate STEAM-based classroom curriculum into practical, hands-on experiences.
Coast Episcopal School has been dedicated to a life-long love of learning by developing the whole child – mind, body and spirit – and providing a joyful, unique and nurturing Judeo-Christian Community that inspires its students to imagine and create a better world. CES is a member of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS). For information: Coast Episcopal School, 5065 Espy Avenue, Long Beach, MS, 39560. 228-452-9442. Coastepiscopalschool.org To purchase Diamond Jubilee tickets, participate in the Brilliance & Beyond Raffle and the Silent Auction: toasttickets.org
