The luck of the Irish was in full effect when The Ireland Funds Pittsburgh Gala was held at Acrisure Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The night kicked off with Irish entertainment and a feeling of being on the Emerald Isle, with a wee bit of football as well.

There were special guests on hand, including Geraldine Byrne Nason, the Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, and Jarlath Burns, the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), and Caitriona Fottrell, the President & CEO of The Ireland Funds.

“We have some very distinguished guests who were on hand,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II, who has spearheaded a lot of the Pittsburgh dinner after his father’s passing. “It’s great to see people from Ireland supporting the Pittsburgh event. It made it a very special night to have them attend. The GAA team also came through our offices and facilities for a tour. They have been a great partner for what we are trying to do in Ireland.”

It was a time to celebrate and honor those who are impacting the Pittsburgh region, in the business sector and within the community, in a manner that is befitting with the tradition and values of The Ireland Funds.

“It’s great to carry on the tradition of The Ireland Funds,” said Rooney. “We’re fortunate to have so many other people in the community who have been willing to be a part of committees and support the event. It’s great to see it continue. We are fortunate this year to have some great awardees.”

The awardees Rooney referred to include, Bill Demchak, the chairman and CEO of The PNC Financial Services Group, and Charlie Batch and Latasha Wilson-Batch, who founded and run the Best of the Batch Foundation, and are staples in the Pittsburgh region who have been making a difference for years.

Demchak received the 2024 Daniel M. Rooney Ambassador’s Award, presented to an individual who reflects Ambassador Rooney’s leadership, love of Pittsburgh and contribution to the community.

Demchak, a top leader at PNC for more than a decade, has evolved PNC into a national banking powerhouse and has had a major impact across the community. He also sees the importance of giving back to Pittsburgh in a charitable fashion, along with his wife Debbie. The couple funds a scholarship program through the Pittsburgh Promise to get more Black educators into the Pittsburgh Public School system. He is also on the board of directors of the Extra Mile Education Foundation, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, among others.

“Bill has done great work at PNC, one of our most successful companies for sure,” said Rooney. “He has also taken a leadership role in the community in a lot of different ways, most recently with some of the efforts he has led in terms of our homeless population and how to address that situation. He hasn’t been afraid to jump into tough issues in the community and provide leadership and resources to get some improvements there.”

Charlie Batch and Latasha Wilson-Batch received the Patricia R. Rooney Community Impact Award, given to leaders who have produced successful organizational initiatives in response to a significant contemporary problem.

“It’s humbling,” said Batch. “Being around the Steelers organization for so many years, and having the opportunity to talk to Mrs. Rooney, and then see the things she did in the community and didn’t want to be highlighted for it. She did so much behind the scenes and her impact is still being felt today. For us to win an award in her name, it’s truly humbling.