It’s that time of the year again when the Nazareth Academy holds the 33rd annual Parents Club Auction on Feb. 25, 2011 at Drury Lane in Oakbrook. Parents, grandparents, friends, alumni, and other Nazareth community members are invited to attend the Auction to support the school. As many families know, it is difficult to send a child to a private school, whether it is elementary or high school.
The Nazareth Auction strives to alleviate this stress by hosting an event where all proceeds directly benefit the kids and the school. By raising money through the auction, Nazareth is able to close the gap between what it really cost to receive a catholic education and what the school charges for tuition. Contributions from the Auction also go towards financial aid, allowing Nazareth to assist more students in need.
The theme of each Auction is based upon a winning student’s drawing submitted early in the year. For the 33Rd Parents Club Auction, the theme features Katherine Bialas’s winning artwork. The invitations displayed her work and decorations for the night all tie in to represent the theme as well.
The Nazareth Parents Club Auction has evolved over the years. What once started out as a casual function held in the school gym, the Auction transformed into an exciting social outing of about four hundred guests. With the growth in numbers, organizers of the event had to call in for reinforcements. Members of the prestigious Roadrunner Club will be present at the Auction, assisting guests and keeping track of bids.
Another more recent change to the Auction came in the way of technology. No longer are bids kept track on paper; electronic bidding will replace the usual paper bidding. In keeping with the latest cell phone trends, guests at the Auction can also bid silently on items on their smart phones and receive notifications that keep them updated on the item. Items up for auction are donated by parents, friends and alumni of the Nazareth community consist of home goods, vacations, tickets to sports events and concerts, and even Nazareth memorabilia. Some of the more interesting and highly sought-after items are a trip to Napa, California, Brad Paisley concert tickets, Blackhawks tickets, and Bulls tickets.
The Parents’ Club Auction is sure to be a success just as it has in the past. With each passing year, Nazareth Academy greatly benefits from the generosity of the loving community and aptly distributes the proceeds to better the school and students.