St. John the Evangelist is $35,000 closer to reaching its $1 million goal for the school’s endowment fund, thanks to the generous support of parents, faculty, parishioners, alumni and our sisters and priests. These devoted fans of the school showed their tails, cleaned out their basements, donated handmade items, and outbid each other at the recent “Joining Generations” Fall Gala and Auction. The result: With the auction profits, the endowment fund totals $845,000.

The 20-member auction committee spent six months planning the event, which was held at the Indian Spring Country Club. Some 230 people made reservations to bid on the more than 330 items collected by the committee, reported Betty Brown, who co-chaired the auction with Mary Brogan.

One-of-a-Kind Treasures

Each bidder received thrills from the items he or she won. Some of the special treasures up for bid included: a picnic table emblazoned with the signatures of each member of the eighth grade class, which went to the LaHoods; a painted floor mat by artist and mother Beth Dahut, with a square painted by each eighth grader won by Elva Riley (now hanging proudly on her wall); the Celtic Cross mosaic made by Pattie Curtiss; the bookshelf painted by Stephanie Rico with whimsical wild flowers, insects and signatures of each teacher. The bookshelf was already nearly full of books specially chosen by the teachers (each chose her favorite and wrote a dedication to the lucky reader). Another featured item was the quilt that Marilyn Whitney and her sister sewed with images of St. John’s framed within St. John’s plaid.

Going Once, Going Twice, Gone

All the auction goers enjoyed the antics of Mike Bruckwick and the understated cajoling of John Hathaway (“See how much that man loves his wife”) our two masters of ceremonies for the evening. It was a close call for the rectory residents as Father Mark nearly won a pug—man’s best friend. In fact, the Murrays will be proud owners of a fine, stout legged creature, generously offered by the LaHoods.

“Joining Generations” Auction ‘06 Front Row: Betty Brown, Co-Chair, Noelyne Alzona, Sheryl Kreischer. Back Row: Mary Brogan, Co-Chair, Sister Daniel Mary, IHM, Margie Cuff. (Six of the twenty-one Committee Members Meeting)

Sean Culkin danced us into a buying frenzy and softened our hearts as he danced with Sister Kathleen during the bidding. Not to be outdone, the “grill guys,” Geoff Conway and Carl Spellacy, accepted two bids for barbeque dinner parties, adding $1,400 to the evening’s coffers. Similarly, the “men in black,” accepted two bids for dinner, extending their generous offer to host a dinner party at the rectory to two hungry groups.

As people entered, they took a chance on identifying parishioners, teachers, staff and priests when they were oh so young. Party goers were also invited to bid on “sign up parties” (a new feature). The martini party hosted by Cascade Street families was such a success because new and established parish families were able to mingle and get to know one another.

Our auction attracted current and former priests from the parish, as Father Kyle Engles, Monsignor William English, and Father Robert Mordino joined Monsignor Barry Knestout, Father Mark Tucker, and Father Michael Tietgen. We also spotted recent school graduates, alumni families, long-time parishioners like Tom Kenny, and those new to the school.

Successfully running such an event that not only raises money, but is fun to attend takes many hours of hard work, from many individuals. “It was a very rewarding experience,” said Betty Brown. “It is a perfect example of the adages, ‘many hands make light work,’ and ‘it’s not work when you’re with friends.”

“I have many memories, but that night, seeing everyone together, having a good time for a good cause, makes you realize all the people who had a part to play, all the donors, all the attendees, the committee, etc., all the people it takes to make it a success,” Brown continued. “Every face there was a friend, and we are truly blessed with a generous parish.”

If you missed the auction, you can still help the endowment fund reach its $1 million goal by December 31, 2006. Contact the Endowment Office at the school for various ways of contributing to the fund. (301-592-1438 or e-mail: sdmdev@hotmail.com)