On Saturday, November over 700 Benet parents, alumni, faculty, and staff got together for one of Benet’s biggest events of the year: the 27th annual auction dinner. The evening, themed The Academy Presents… The 27th Annual Benet Academy Auction Dinner, consisted of dinner, live and silent auctions, raffles, dancing, and performances by the Madrigals and the Jazz Band.
The night began with the silent auction bidding, raffle ticket sales, and a performance by the Benet Jazz Band. There was a wide array of items featured in the silent auction, many of which were uniquely Benet, such as a grill with a Benet cover, a gopro camera, and tickets to various sporting events. After guests were seated, the Madrigals performed several songs including a few numbers from last spring’s musical All Shook Up.
Dinner was followed by the most important events of the evening: the live auction and the Call for Compassion. The live auction featured priceless and hard to get prizes, such as a spring break trip to Mexico and a trip to New York including SNL tickets. Next, the Call for Compassion was introduced by Benet alum Justin Welke (‘03). Mr. Welke was one of the students who benefitted from the funds raised annually by the Call for Compassion, which provides tuition assistance for many Benet students who otherwise might not be able to attend Benet.
The evening ended with dancing to the Andy Marchese Orchestra. Mr. Marchese was the very first orchestra conductor at Benet and wrote the school’s alma mater and the fight song. At 94 years of age he is still conducting his own orchestra.
The Benet Auction Dinner has always been the largest fundraising event of the year, and this year’s was no exception. The event raised over $500,000 and was made possible by the Benet Department of Development, numerous adult volunteers, 105 student volunteers, and the hundreds of guests in attendance. The event not only raised money for the Academy but provided a chance for everyone involved with Benet to enjoy a fun and exciting Oscar-themed evening.