More than 470 guests dressed in jerseys, cheerleading uniforms, and other athletic apparel gathered at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School on Saturday for the school’s sports-themed benefit for its financial aid program. The 36th annual auction’s venue—the school gymnasium—was a natural fit with this year’s “Game On” theme.
“It’s a wide, open space with no restrictions,” said André Wells, owner of Events by André Wells and parent of a St. Patrick’s student, who volunteered to produce the dinner. Wells added that although the venue had its challenges (vendors were limited in when and where they could park their trucks on school property), the gym is bigger than some of the city’s hotel ballrooms.
The auction’s inspiration always relates to the values of the school, and this year’s sports theme was no exception, according to St. Patrick’s assistant head of development Carrie Ahlborn, who worked with associate director of development Cathy Albo to coordinate the event. “We have a strong athletics department and this is a way to celebrate that,” Alhborn said. “By having the theme it allows people to relax and not have to buy a new dress.”
The silent auction “pep rally” in the school’s main building kicked off the evening, as parents and alumni bid on auction items and sampled Main Event Caterers' tailgate-inspired foods, like corn dogs and nachos, and sipped the specialty St. Germain Elderflower cocktail.
At 8:30 p.m., a drum major led guests across the street for the “big game” sit-down dinner in the gym, where Wells had covered the floors with Astroturf and taped off foul lines to resemble a playing field. Green-and-white striped linens and sculptures of sports-related items (think footballs, sneakers, and hot dogs) by commercial sculptor A.J. Strasser topped the tables, while pompoms and crepe paper lined the walls. Rounding out the look: a popcorn bar and servers in referee uniforms.
The school sold 344 tickets at $150 for the cocktail reception and dinner, and 133 tickets at $50 for the reception only. The rest of the funds raised came from online, silent, and live auction items, most of which were donated by parents and ranged from home-cooked meals to stays at beach homes. Political commentator Tucker Carlson, another St. Patrick’s parent, volunteered as auctioneer for the live auction, which defied D.C. norms by lasting till nearly 2 a.m.
