Local schools prepare for upcoming annual dinner auction fundraisers

SIKESTON — Spring is in the air, which also means several private schools are planning their annual fundraisers to help with their operating costs and special needs.

The Christian Academy in Sikeston will hold their annual dinner auction on Feb. 23 in an effort to “Tech-Up TCA.”

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said Kevin Self, principal at TCA. “This is our seventh year doing it. Last year was the largest amount that we have raised and we are trying to up that this year.”

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 23 at the First Methodist Church Family Life Center, the night will feature dinner along with silent and live auctions.

“Our goal is to raise $40,000,” Self said. “Last year we raised about $30,000. This year it is called ‘Tech-up TCA’ because a lot of this the goal is to purchase some iPads.”

Self said they hope to raise enough money to purchase 20 to 25 iPads to go along with laptops they have purchased the last several years. With the addition of the iPads two or possibly three classrooms could be fully equipped while the other classrooms would have a couple of computers that teachers could incorporate into their coursework.

Self said a lot of the money that comes to the school is from the families and he is hoping to ease that somewhat.

“For us, we are trying to branch out from that with fundraisers because once you are getting tuition from everybody it is hard to fundraise more because for right now in Sikeston there just aren’t a lot of great paying jobs,” Self said. “Hopefully that will change.”

The silent auction will feature items donated by local businesses with things such as gift certificates and even a family membership to the YMCA among the many items to be auctioned off.

Each classroom will have their own projects they created as well and they will be part of the live auction that will be conducted by Charles Breeden.

“Sometimes it is handprints, or faces or pictures and usually there is a scripture or something to go with it to represent what that means,” Self said of the classroom projects.

One addition to this year’s auction is that there will be donation drawing of $20 a ticket for the chance to win a zero turn Kubota lawn mower. The winning ticket will be chosen at the auction and tickets are on sale now by calling TCA. The winner does not have to present to win.

For those who do attend, the meal will be catered by Tasteful Creations, and will include roast beef, chicken breast with basil cream sauce, twice baked potato casserole, fried green beans, salad with homemade dressing and cheesecake.

A pizza-n-play option will provide dinner and activities for children 18 months to 10 years in a supervised environment so parents can have a chance to eat dinner and browse the items up for bid.

This year instead of live entertainment, Self said they will just have Christian music playing in the background like dinner music.

“A lot of times if we are doing something people don’t want to get up from their seat because they feel like they are interrupting,” Self said. “We will provide an opportunity for them to sit, visit, walk around the room and see all the items that are up for bid.”

Tickets are currently on sale for $35 for an adult ticket and can be purchased by calling TCA.

“Essentially what this dinner auction is is a an opportunity for us to come together as a family,” Self said. “We have 110 kids total. We would like to get a lot of those families in and get to know one another in a casual setting as opposed to a parent-teacher conference or something else. I’m hoping everybody can come.”

“March Madness” is the theme to St. Francis Xavier’s dinner auction set for March 10 at the church’s parish center in Sikeston. Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner catered by Rebecca Sharp of New Madrid is at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $30 per person and includes the meal and adult beverages.

“We are going to do a silent auction, and there are hundreds of items in the silent auction and live auction,” said Lauren McMullin, who is chairing St. Francis Xavier’s dinner auction.

Included in this year’s auction are several sets of tickets for St. Louis Cardinals tickets, Fox Theatre and St. Louis Blues, McMullin said, adding there’s also a very rare Winchester Model 50 gun.

“We will do a reverse raffle, where people can buy a ticket, and they’re put in a drawing and the last person remaining wins $1,500,” she said.

Raffle tickets are also being sold for a Louis Vuitton purse full of a surprise amount of money; a Yeti cooler set with apparel; and a “party barrel” full of adult beverages, snacks, candy and more. Winners do not have to be present to win, she said.

The March 10 event will also include some hands-on games for attendees to play and win prizes throughout the evening, McMullin said.

“We have a dinner auction each year to help keep the cost of tuition down and offer scholarships to several students. Through our fundraiser, our faculty and staff are paid and it helps with our operating costs. It’s our largest one, and we have to do it keep the doors open,” McMullin said.

Last year’s event raised around $70,000, she said, adding enrollment for the prekindergarten through eighth grades is around 120.

Tickets are available by contacting the school at 573-471-0841. Business and individual sponsorships are also available, she said.

“We appreciate everyone who helps make our event a success each year,” McMullin said. “We have parishioners who attend and donate as well and families from the school and community members who help. They do it all.”

Elsewhere in the area, St. Denis School in Benton will have its dinner-auction fundraiser March 3 with the theme of “Down on the Farm.”

The school is selling tickets to raffle a 9-cubic foot chest freezer filled with approximately 150 pounds of beef, pork and chicken. It will include beef and pork steaks, ground beef, sausage, chicken wings and the rest of the chicken. Tickets are one for $10 or three for $25.

Admission is $30 per person and includes a catered meal by 2-Chef’s Catering and drinks. Tickets and more information is available by contacting the school at 573-545-3017.