Fourth Gala Edition of the Buzz!

Welcome to the Special Gala Edition of the Buzz!

Please join us on April 1st for our annual Gala!

Letter from the Chairs

We are less than two weeks away from the biggest night of the year for St. Ambrose! There is so much going on so please look closely at the different activities happening. First, you must get your tickets to enjoy a night of fellowship, fundraising, and fun at the Gala on April 1st! Second, the excitement has already begun with the online auction. Score big points with your kids by winning a great experience with one of their teachers. Kindergarten parents - how can you pass up a beautiful book of photographs of your children's precious hands or front row seats to their graduation ceremony? Finally, get pumped up for our silent and live auctions at the Gala. Check out the link to our auction program and look for it hard copy in the Wednesday folders. You'll find an item that can appeal to any member of the family - Disney World tickets, wine tastings, spa packages, golf outings, and even an autographed poster of Muhammad Ali and the Beatles! This night is all about our kids - don't miss out on an opportunity to make St. Ambrose just that much better through the generosity of our community. We look forward to seeing you there.

In appreciation of your support,

Eileen Bliss, Michele Robbins, and Heather Terreri

2017 Gala Chairs

Start the Bidding!

The online auction is open for bidding and runs until March 24th. "Take Flight With Ms. Mallery" got the first bid opening the auction! To get started, go to http://tinyurl.com/Knights17 and get your account in just a few simple steps. Please note there will be a 2% credit card service fee added to your bill. Since this is a new process, here are a few tips to help guide you through the process.

Each item will open at a certain bid price. The first bidder must use this as their minimum open bid.
Most items require a $20 minimum bid increase. If the last bid was $150, you must bid at least $170.
There is a reserve bid price. If the bidding does not meet the reserve, then it will not be closed out in the online auction and will be included in the silent auction at the Gala. The reserve price is the same as the "Buy it Now" option. If you want to make sure you win the item you can skip the bidding and go straight to "But it Now" like you might on eBay.
Parents should consider pooling their money to win an item for a group or class of kids. Majority of the items are experiences for multiple students so invite some friends to participate with you. One person will need to act on behalf of the group as the bidder.
You will see items from the giving tree. These are items requested by our teachers for their classrooms for your student's use. These items are available for "purchase" and are not a bidding item.

Check out our menu of global cuisine paired with wine and beer!

Taste of the Mediterranean: Falafel; Pita chips and dips; Taboule

Ropiteau Pinot Noir, France

Taste of Europe: Lasagna; Bratwurst served with sauerkraut and mustard

Savor Collective Red Blend, Australia and Warsteiner Dunkel, Germany

Taste of India: Chicken tikka masala, rice, chickpeas; Chaat papri

Dr. Hiedemanns Rieseling QbA, Germany

Taste of Asia: Drunken noodles with mixed vegetables; Vietnamese roll

Eden Ridge Mendocino Chardonnay, USA and Stella Artois, Belgium

Taste of Africa: Chicken Wings; Tibs and Misir Wot

Spier Chenin Blanc, South Africa and Yeungling, USA

Taste of the Americas: Pulled pork served with BBQ sauce and Hawaiian rolls; Vegetable chopped salad with poppyseed dressing; Chicken quesadillas

Phebus MMC, Argentina and Dos Equis Ambar, Mexico

Table Appetizers: Bread and Dipping oil and Charcuterie - Spanish manchengo, Irish cheddar, American goat cheese; and three Italian salamis

50/50 Raffle

Get out there and sell your raffle tickets! Send in what you have, even if you're not done selling, so everyone can see how quickly our pot can grow. The pot is at almost $3,000 but we can do so much better! Tickets are $10 and the winner does not need to be present. Reach out to Rachel Kramer rachelo.kramer@gmail.com if you need more tickets. The student who sells the most tickets gets 2 tickets to 6 Flags!

Dessert Auction

Calling all bakers! We need your delicious treats for our dessert auction at the Gala. Please use the form at the attached link to confirm your dessert donation. Return forms to the office or email dessert donation information to gala@stambroseschool.org.

Ticket Sales

We still have a few tickets left. The price is now up to $60 and tickets will be on sale until the day of the event or when we sell out. You can purchase tickets by cash or check by sending in your money along with the ticket sales form to the school office. Please see attached sales form and online ticket purchase instructions. You can purchase tickets by credit card online at www.silentauctionpro.com/onlineticketpurchase.php?groupid=980. There is no 2% service charge for credit card use for ticket sales purchased ahead of time.

Gala FAQ Reminders

If you're still considering whether or not to attend this year's Gala, we wanted to highlight a few FAQs that may help you join us:

* This is not a "couples only" or "St. Ambrose only" event. It can be hard to secure childcare so consider grabbing a neighbor to come along or join up with some fellow parents and get a table together. You can also consider sharing childcare amongst families.
* Come dressed in whatever makes you feel comfortable. People will generally be dressed in "casual elegance", but some will be decked out in cocktail dresses while others may be wearing their nicest jeans.
* Consider coming even if you can't stay for the whole event. The silent auction and raffles will be open from 6-8pm. Food tables will be open at the same time and people can help themselves to food throughout the evening. The live auction will be from 8:15-9:30pm with the raffle winners announced at the end. You do not need to be present to win the raffles.

Volunteers Needed

We need your help! Check out the sign-up genius to see how you can support this event. www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0D4AA5AB2CA3FD0-school.