A colorful floral and paisley decorated VW Bus, along with groovy 1960s costumes galore, transported the supporters and parishioners of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and Elementary School back in time during the school’s annual costume and dinner auction gala.
Held Saturday, March 7, in The Castaway’s large ballroom atop the Burbank Verdugo Hills, the “Sizzling 60s Dinner Auction” drew approximately 180 guests, according to event chair Heather Thimes.
The event continues to be St. Francis Xavier School’s largest fundraiser annually. More than 260 items were auctioned off, including a $1200 Hotel Del Coronado package, a Taylor Swift autographed hat and Tiffany and D.W. Henderson jewelry.
Although the final tally of funds raised won’t be known for a few weeks, according to Thimes, she felt the well-attended event was successful. The school’s PTO will announce the amount raised to the school community when available.
The annual dinner auction raises money for capital improvements for the school campus, explained Thimes, and goes towards the playgrounds and shading for sports and playground equipment.
“Our annual dinner auction event brings together fun, friendship and fundraising for the St. Francis Xavier community with the objective of improving important aspects of our school that will benefit our children’s development,” she commented.
St. Francis Xavier School is located on an eight and one-half acre plot of land in the Verdugo Hills. According to the school’s website, the grounds were donated by the Cabrini Nuns in 1954 to start St. Francis Xavier Parish. Mother Cabrini’s order, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, established St. Francis Xavier School in 1956 and ran the educational programs until the order was called back to New York in 1970.
The elementary school is comprised of students in Kindergarten through eighth grade.
