Southern Nebraska Register
Lourdes Central
More than 350 supporters attended “A Knight in the Vineyard” March 23, the 30th annual “Lourdes Event” benefit for Lourdes Central Catholic in Nebraska City.
Organized by the school’s advancement office and a planning committee of more than 25 volunteers, the Lourdes Event is the school’s largest fundraising event of the year.
According to Father Jonathan Haschke, chief administrative officer at Lourdes, the annual event serves as a way to celebrate the school’s traditions, students, faculty and staff, while also raising funds that help ensure a Catholic education is accessible to families in Nebraska City and surrounding areas. This year’s event raised more than $172,000 in support of Catholic education, with an additional $10,665 raised to support the school’s Fund-a-Need Project to update the middle school and high school restrooms.
The evening kicked off with a social hour, followed by dinner, raffle drawings for a $3,000 shopping spree and a trip to Napa Valley, a silent auction and a live grand auction. Guests participated in wine-themed activities such as wine tasting, a wine pull game, and a grape stomp.
The emcee for this year’s event was Father Steven Mills, a 2001 graduate of Lourdes Central. Before dinner, Father Mills shared stories about his time at Lourdes and the positive impact the school has had on his life. He was assisted by auctioneer Mark Easter.
A virtual silent auction site was launched five days prior to the event, which allowed people to register and bid on auction items without attending. Nearly 200 items were donated for the silent auction.
The night concluded with a live grand auction filled with unique packages such as a Husker volleyball fan experience with Rebekah Allick, a two-night getaway to Stonebridge Resort in Branson, Mo., a guided pheasant hunt with Father Jonathan Haschke, and Husker Catholic dinner party for a group of 10 people. The live auction raised $53,100.
“We are tremendously grateful for all our sponsors, donors and everyone who worked so hard to make this event a success,” Father Haschke said. “These faithful supporters are part of our family that make Lourdes so special.”
