The school will host its 43rd annual ShamrAuction fund-raiser on Feb. 29 called “Copa Cathedral,” which includes various activities and performances throughout the night to help raise funds for the school. 

The attendance is expected to be anywhere from 600 to 750. “The fire marshal doesn’t like when we bring 750,” Senior Director of Advancement Mrs. Michelle (Rhodes) Taylor ‘01 said. 

ShamrAuction on average nets about half a million dollars from ticket sales (priced at $250  each), sponsorships, what’s raised during the night from the silent and live auctions, etc. The proceeds will go toward the school’s operating budget which comes from two places, fundraising and tuition. 

“Those funds then go to support tuition assistance, need-based financial aid, our teachers and their salaries and (the teachers’) opportunities for professional development. It honestly goes to keep the lights on here. Maintenance, athletics, you name it, that’s what the operating budget supports,” Taylor said. 

The evening will begin with Mass at 4:45 p.m. in the chapel on campus, “like we always do with everything at Cathedral, we always begin with Mass,” she said. 

Afterward, guests will transition to the Mimms Gym for the silent auction portion. Some of the items that will be offered are various pieces of jewelry (including a diamond engagement ring), different experiences such as being the Leprechaun for the day and walking in the St. Patrick’s Day parade with Cathedral’s leprechaun (“that always goes over really well with our grade school age kids,” Taylor said), home decor, spirit shop items, a graduation party that will be held at Brunette Park’s banquet hall catered by Sahm’s, and much more. 

At 7 p.m. guests will head to the Welch Activity Center for dinner (which will also be Brazilian themed) and the live auction. Items that will be for sale in this auction are: a nine-week-old mini bernedoodle puppy named Lolap; trips to Rio and Cuba; vacation home stays in Sanibel, Florida; a chalet in Harbor Springs, Michigan and more. 

The Latin Dance team will perform, students from the theater department will be there and all choirs are invited to perform as well. Then finally DJ GNO will provide entertainment until the end of the night. “We usually kick people out at 1 a.m.,” Taylor said. 

She added that she anticipates the event going well this year. She said, “We have an awesome group of volunteers, stellar co-chairs, and I think the Cathedral family always shows up, so we’re excited.”