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Online ball

St. Ed’s fundraiser moves to digital platform

You are cordially invited to not attend the 37th annual Friends of St. Edmond Ball on May 2.

This disinvitation comes courtesy of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. However, St. Edmond Catholic School is making lemonade with the lemons it’s been dealt by hosting a “no show ball” instead.

“We’re reinventing ourselves,” said Tom Miklo, development director of St. Edmond Catholic School.

The ball, originally scheduled for the first Saturday in May, is a major fundraiser for the school, Miklo said. And with no definite end in sight for the pandemic, the event organizers were looking for a way to go forward in some fashion.

“Even though we can’t hold the event, we still need your support, probably now more than ever,” he said.

That’s where the idea of the “no show ball” came into play. The school is still asking for contributions from community members, but there will not be a physical event. There will still be the car and tuition raffles and auctions conducted online.

“We’ve already got about 25 items online people can go and look at,” Miklo said. “We’ll be adding to that as time goes.”

The auction, available at biddingforgood.com/seball, will run from noon on April 25 until 8 p.m. on May 2. The car and tuition raffles will be drawn at 8 p.m. on May 2 and will be livestreamed on the school’s social media pages.

As one of the largest fundraisers of the year, the Friends of St. Edmond Ball is crucial for the school, Miklo said.

“The bulk of what we raise goes to our operating expenses,” he said. “It’s very, very important, financially.”

Anything that the school is able to raise above and beyond its operating needs goes to other special projects around the school, Miklo said.

For example, last year, the school was able to purchase and replace the cooling unit for the elementary school, which it would not have been able to do without the help of the fundraiser.

St. Edmond Catholic School continues to accept donations for the event and the auction items. Anyone interested in donating auction items can contact Miklo at 515-955-6077 or email miklot@st-edmond.com.

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