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St. Francis Xavier auction to celebrate school opening doors 100 years ago
SIKESTON — One hundred years ago, St. Francis Xavier School opened its doors and there are plenty of events in conjunction with the school’s annual dinner auction in which residents can take part.
This year, the event will be a week long with parishioners, parents and community members able to participate in a virtual auction beginning April 6. Those wanting to participate in the virtual auction can at: https://stfxsikeston.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/StFrancisXavierVirtualAuction/tabid/12....
The virtual auction will lead up to a 10-item live auction on April 10.
“We moved the auction from February to April so we could offer a safer in-person event outside behind the school/church,” said Marcie Lawson, chair of the 2021 dinner auction.
With the theme the school’s 100-year anniversary, many auction items will be consistent with that theme.
“We will include vintage school memorabilia in the auction this year such as wooden folding chairs, school desks, two-person church pews and small stained glass windows from the church that will all be personalized to signify the 100-year anniversary of the school,” Lawson said. “In addition to the auction, we’re planning an alumni giving campaign ‘100 for 100’ and will ask St. Francis Xavier alumni to consider a donation of $100 to invest in the next 100 years of the school.”
Lawson said she hopes there is something for everyone.
“Items like the school memorabilia or Principal for a Day obviously target St. Francis Xavier parents and alumni. But we’ll also have things that anyone in the community will enjoy like Sikeston High School sports passes, stadium seats and a custom Bulldog fire pit, or an amazing piece of jewelry from Sam’s Fine Jewelry,” Lawson said.
Other items like a fish gigging trip on the Current River, Cardinals baseball tickets with a hotel stay, or all-you-can-eat wings and fries at Schindler’s will also be auctioned.
There will also be plenty of activities planned as well.
“If you’re like me, you’ve been missing in-person events,” Lawson said. “April 10 will be a great time to get outside and enjoy an evening with friends in Downtown Sikeston. We’ll have fun games like cornhole, where the winner will get to take the cornhole set home as their prize, in addition to our live auction.”
St. Francis Xavier Principal Barbara Tomaszewski said the auction brings in the majority of the money the school needs for operating costs.
“We use the money to run the school, pay bills and help pay teacher’s salaries,” Tomaszewski said. “We’ve been trying to be creative with COVID. We’re trying to keep things as safe as possible. The support of our school would be wonderful, not just for us but for what we offer the community.”
Lawson, who is a St. Francis Xavier alumnus, said she knows firsthand the benefit of a Catholic education and is glad she can offer than to her children.
“We want this to be an enjoyable way to support our school,” Lawson said. “Whether you have children that attend St. Francis or not, having a high-quality, Catholic educational option is extremely important for our community as a whole. We try to make this option as affordable as possible, which is why we rely on annual fundraisers, like this one, to supplement tuition.
“We have so many parents and school staff members working behind the scenes to make this a great event for the entire community, so I hope that those who’ve not participated in the past feel welcome to join us this year and help us celebrate such a huge milestone.”
The cost for the live auction is $35 per person and will consist of appetizers, cocktails and refreshments. Tickets can purchased at https://stfxsikeston.ejoinme.org/sponsorship or by calling the school at 471-0841.
“We want everyone to come out and enjoy yourself and support the school,” Tomaszewski said.
“We appreciate all the support we get.”