Celebration Dominicana 2026
An annual fundraising event benefitting the Dominican Republic Partnership (DRMP) of Village Church
Help support the mission.
Please join us Saturday, Sept. 26 for Celebration Dominicana 2026. We will celebrate more than three decades of hope and healing—and dream about what we can do in the future. We are excited to return to Milburn Country Club in Overland Park, Kansas, for our annual fundraising event, which offers ample room for guests and parking.
Sandy Yan Meristal (also known to many as Wilkin), founder and CEO of Light A Candle Foundation, and his 5-piece Dominican band will be our musical guests. We invite you to support our mission by considering becoming a Celebration Dominicana sponsor. Every donation—large or small—directly impacts lives by helping provide medical treatment, education, and hope to those who need it most. We hope you can also join us for a warm and wonderful evening of music, dancing, food & drink, a silent auction, and more!
- Tickets are $60 per person and include all food and drinks. Sponsorships are also available.
- Tickets are $20 for those aged 20 and younger.
dominican republic medical partnership
In it for the long haul
The Dominican Republic Medical Partnership (DRMP) is Village Church’s oldest international ministry. Andy Wilson introduced this ministry through our youth—traveling to La Romana to help with the construction of the Good Samaritan Hospital in the 1990s. Over the years our youth have, no doubt, mixed enough cement to fill several trucks! When Village members learned of the oppressive conditions of those working the sugarcane fields, the DRMP was born. Each year, about 125 people are part of annual mission trips and more serve in support roles.
The DRMP provides health care and health education to children and adults living in the impoverished bateys (communities of Haitian sugarcane workers and their families) living near La Romana, Dominican Republic. We promote sustainable healthcare efforts with our Dominican partner organization, Light a Candle (Fundación Enciende Una Luz), including ongoing hypertension management, life-changing surgeries, disease prevention, healthy nutrition, dental healthcare, and more.
The daily life in the D.R. is increasingly challenging for the sugarcane cutters and their families due, in part, to the ever-worsening situation in Haiti. Our mission is rooted in human dignity, compassion, and the belief that every person deserves access to healthcare regardless of nationality, documentation status, or economic circumstance. The needs grow and our ministry continues.
