(Posted Feb. 9, 2017)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
The St. Patrick Catholic congregation in London is close to paying off its Parish Activity and Recreation Center (PARC). An upcoming Mardi Gras party will help to close the gap.
“We’re very close to having the building paid off. We hope to be done this year,” said Jamie Weiner, organizer of the St. Patrick dinner and auction, an annual fundraiser that benefits the PARC, which opened in 2014 alongside St. Patrick School at 226 Elm St. The main feature of the 13,000 square-foot facility is a gymnasium.
The Mardi Gras-themed dinner and auction will take place at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 25 and is open to adults age 21 and older. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased at the school office or church office.
The buffet-style dinner, served at stations, will include entrée offerings of pork tenderloin roast, bourbon chicken, and a shrimp and andouille sausage boil, all with side dishes. Salad, dessert, tea, coffee and water are included. A cash bar also is planned. The Dixieland Band will perform before and during dinner.
Diane Self, a tutor at St. Patrick School, is coordinating the live and silent auctions. She started collecting items last year for themed baskets of merchandise and gift certificates. The offerings run from spa services to sports tickets and memorabilia. A highlight of the live auction is a week-long condominium stay in Las Vegas.
Another highlight is the sale of student artwork, coordinated by parent Michelle Horn and art teacher Sara Cox. Hitting the auction block are: a teepee, made by kindergarteners; Dr. Seuss serving tray, first grade; butterfly shadow box, second grade; star shelf, third grade; popsicle stick flag, fourth grade; giant spool table, fifth grade; and chess table, middle school.
A raffle also is planned. Students and their families have donated items for themed baskets by grade: Pizza Night, pre-school; Slumber Party (girl), kindergarten; Everything Nerf (boy), first grade; We Scream for Ice Cream, second grade; Mad Scientist, third and sixth grades; Columbus Sports, fourth grade; Who Wants to be a Millionaire, fifth grade; and Fat Tuesday, seventh and eighth grades. Parent Anna Lambert is coordinating the raffle.
Since its inception 11 years ago, the dinner and auction has raised between $9,000 and $30,000 annually. These proceeds, coupled with individual donations and funding from the Columbus Diocese Bishop’s annual appeal, have gone to the PARC debt. Even after the facility is paid off, the event will continue to be held with proceeds going to student services and PARC operations.
“The PARC has really become a widely used space, not just for our students but also for youth sports leagues and community events,” Weiner said.
For more information about the Mardi Gras dinner and auction, including sponsorship opportunities, call St. Patrick School at (740) 852-0161.
