St. Joseph’s Academy hosted its 43rd annual auction, the largest fundraising event of the year, in the school’s gymnasium on Saturday, February 24. The auction raised more than $600,000 for student scholarships, school improvements and general operations at the Academy.

The event was emceed by Joe Buck, sportscaster and father of senior Trudy Buck.

Money is raised through student raffle ticket sales, and donated auction items that attendees bid. Students were asked to sell six $25 raffle tickets to help meet the school goal of $75,000. Students surpassed this goal raising more than $80,000 in raffle ticket sales, shocking the auction coordinators, including Mrs. Meredith Metzger, Special Events and Parent Programs Specialist.

“It’s a record,” Mrs. Metzger said.

Mrs. Metzger said that 525 guests attended the auction. According to Mrs. Metzger, this number was the same as the school’s 175th anniversary auction. About 100 alumnae were in attendance.

The work going into auction requires a dedicated team to prepare for months.

“The two chairs [Mrs. Gina Hayes and Mrs. Debbie Herrenbruck] signed on to the auction last July,” Mrs. Meersman said, “and [they] have been directly planning the auction since October.”

Students volunteer to work the auction every year to serve dinner, coat check, greet guests, represent homeroom baskets, sell tickets at the auction, etc.

“I love the auction. I genuinely look forward to working it,” senior Ashleigh Weismiller, who represented a homeroom basket at the auction, said.

The proceeds are going towards a new college counseling space, upgrades to sound equipment in the theatre, and a prayer garden outside of the school’s chapel. Students look forward to these incentives every year.

“I am jealous of all these new updates coming to the school next year,” senior Anna Roth said.

Students at St. Joe love the days preceding the auction. They get to see and play with the auction puppies the week before the auction.

“My favorite part of the entire auction is the dogs,” senior Molly Boersig said.