What a night! What a spirit! What a wonderful gathering of friends and family dedicated to the children and the work of Saint Mark School! Our 2008 Lion Pride Auction, themed BLOOM AND GROW, preliminary tallies indicate that our 260 guests, donors and sponsors raised approximately $74,000 for SMS! Of that, $16,400 is dedicated to tuition aid grants for the 2008-2009 school year. The remainder (approximately $58,000) will help to defray operating costs and help to assure financial stability and growth ahead for SMS! Our final income and expenses should be tallied within the week, and we’ll be reporting actual outcomes at our next PAC meeting on Thursday, April 3^rd in the Parish Hall.

We have some very vital and dedicated parents to thank particularly for the success and all-out fun of last Saturday evening: Katy Barnes took full and outstanding leadership in organizing and coordinating the combined activities of our room parents, volunteers, donors, sponsors, vendors and record-keepers. Saturday evening’s BLOOM AND GROW effort began with commitments and follow-through over a period of 10 arduous months! Katy’s executive committee, Stephanie Justrich, Liza Barnes-Klink, Ghislaine Skoog, and Gina Harris formed the heart of a team – including Maria Romero, Brandi Flores, Maria Donaldson, dedicated Room Parents and awesome auctioneers Kevin Lennon and Paul Felix who truly “made it happen” for all of us! When you see these incredibly talented and dedicated individuals, feel free to give them a hug and thank them for the gifts they bring to the community of Saint Mark!

Community is the strength and excellence of Saint Mark School! May God bless and give continued health and fullness of rest and refreshment to those who give so much of themselves to this wonderful mission!