Sold-out 23rd Paint the Town Pink gala embraces Midnight in Monte Carlo

Florence Crittenton Family Services’ 23rd annual Paint the Town Pink gala sold out and drew upwards of 500 people to a "Midnight in Monte Carlo"-themed evening held Feb. 13, 2026, the organization and local coverage reported. Florence Crittenton lists the gala as seeing 525 guests, while local media described attendance as “over 500 people”; all ticket proceeds went directly toward the organization's mission supporting young families in need.

The sold-out night combined cocktails, fine dining, captivating speakers, live and silent auctions and music and dancing by Vinyl City as organizers aimed to raise unrestricted funds for trauma-informed family services, mental-health and recovery programs, residential programs, childcare and parenting classes. Executive Director Carrie Krepps said, “The things that those families are going through, I think it's really important for us to keep in the front of our minds… what the families that are walking alongside us in our community may really be struggling with, and how giving them that support can change the trajectory of their entire lives and their families' lives.”

Florence Crittenton’s fundraising materials list Paint the Town Pink as a major revenue source, saying the event brings in $200,000–$300,000 per year; local reporting has historically described the gala as raising more than $100,000 annually. Across its run the event has “incredibly raised more than $3 million,” organization content and coverage state, a cumulative total the nonprofit ties to two decades of program support in Lewis and Clark County. The event’s first iteration in 2003 filled the Civic Center with roughly 250 guests and raised about $30,000, a trajectory that organizers and long-time board members say demonstrates steady growth from a prior Chair-ity Auction at the Montana Club.

Board members credited with launching Paint the Town Pink include Nan Ballien, Shauna Thomas (listed as President) and Margaret Anderson, working with then-Executive Director Pat Seiler and Development Director Barb Burton. An attendee told Executive Director Krepps that PINK is a “classy event for a classy organization,” language the nonprofit uses in promotional materials that describe the evening as one of “glamour, intrigue, and generosity.”

Organizers emphasized the communitywide nature of the production, noting sponsors, auction donors and volunteers from across the county. Florence Crittenton’s public event copy urged support with the line, “Every family deserves a chance so help us turn hope into action as we raise funds to make a lasting impact.” The organization asks anyone seeking ticket or event information to call 406-442-6950; the current Development Director can be reached at 406-413-7046 for inquiries about hosting events of any scale.

One detail not fully specified in available materials is the gala’s current venue: a truncated fragment reading “Lewis & Clark Cou” appears in some event text, but the full venue name and address were not provided in the materials reviewed. Florence Crittenton continues year-round fundraising with other events such as Clash for a Cause, which the group listed for Oct. 2, 2025, at Brothers Tapworks. As the nonprofit moves forward, the revenue from Paint the Town Pink remains a critical funding stream for local residential care, childcare and mental-health services that organizers say change family trajectories in Lewis and Clark County.