WARREN, Mich - De La Salle Collegiate is pleased to announce that the 2021 Christian Brothers’ Dinner is set for Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at the Jimmy John’s Field Complex in Utica, MI. 

In announcing the move to the outdoor venue, Dennis Koch, ‘94, Director of Alumni Relations, said, “Given the ongoing pandemic, the Christian Brothers’ Dinner Committee felt it was necessary to seek an appropriate outdoor venue. We considered various options, and decided on the Jimmy John’s Field location due to the various amenities we can offer our guests.” 

Christian Brothers’ Dinner Committee Chair Matt Loria, ‘95, is pleased that the venue has been selected. 

"We are excited about the move to Jimmy John's for our 2021 Dinner,” Loria said. “The pandemic has forced everyone to think outside the box. Kudos to our Committee and Dennis Koch for really taking the time to find a venue that would meet our needs, rain or shine." 

Unlike the traditional sit-down dinner, with assigned tables, the 2021 event will be a “strolling” dinner, with various food stations in the facility’s concourse, a sweets table, optional scotch and bourbon tastings, and a home run derby. There will also be the traditional silent auction. 

Prior to the cancellation of the dinner in April 2020, the Christian Brothers’ Dinner had been held at Penna’s of Sterling for many years, accommodating nearly 1,000 alumni, past parents, and friends of De La Salle at the annual celebration. 

The late Roland Rinke ‘43, and Roger Rinke, ‘47, initiated the idea for an annual fundraising dinner, and worked with the late Brother Kevin Gilhooly, then the De La Salle Collegiate Principal, to establish the first Christian Brothers’ Dinner in 1982. That dinner was held at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club; in subsequent years, the dinner was held at the Gourmet House, on Jefferson in St. Clair Shores. The move to Penna’s followed soon after to accommodate the nearly 1,000 guests each year. 

The dinner will honor the 2020 Honoree, Mr. Gary Buslepp, as well as the 2021 Honoree, to be announced by the Dinner Committee in the near future. 

More information about the dinner, including sponsorships and ticket information, is on the Christian Brothers’ Dinner webpage on the De La Salle Collegiate website. 

Ticket and sponsorship information is also available through the Pilot Hangar