ECHO

A 2011-2012 Flashback--Rocks celebraTion meets Final Four

Monday, July 02, 2012 By Campus News/Mr. Travis Wagoner '90, Alumni Relations & Communications Director

Trinity’s long-held benefit dinner and auction, called celebraTion, embraced college basketball’s Final Four weekend and held its annual event right smack dab in the middle of the historic U of L vs. UK basketball game on Saturday, Mar. 31. Those attending the event spent a raucous evening that began with patrons enjoying a meal while watching two giant screen TVs. Cheers erupted throughout the game by fans of both teams, and except for a short 30-second moment of hysteria when the TV signal was lost, all seemed to think the game and dinner went great together. Once the game ended, bidding on the hundreds of silent auction items proceeded with the aid of electronic devices given to each patron. The devices allowed bidders to track the status of their bid from anywhere in the room. Alerts were sent to the bidder’s device anytime their bid was bested by another patron. This step into technology proved to be great fun and more importantly, significantly increased the amount of money raised from each patron. Other changes also were found this year, including a first-ever use of the historic Olmsted as the event’s venue. Having the event off-campus kept the school calendar intact, whereas before, a day off school had to be created to allow setup in the cafeteria. Using The Olmsted also placed much less strain on the school’s award-winning facility crew. The Olmsted provided a beautiful and flexible site for the event. The Olmsted staff was responsive and helpful in all ways. Patrons also enjoyed a two-tiered option of ticket prices as well as the sounds of Thumper and the Plaid Rabbits to close the evening. Mike Sheehy ’82 is the drummer for Thumper. The evening is supported by more than two dozen corporate sponsors who provide needed funding and support. Proceeds from the evening go to financial aid funds and student activity programs. The event allows the school to charge about $250 less per family in tuition. Hundreds of donors provided items and services that were used in the auctions. WAVE3 TV meteorologist Kevin Harned acted as auctioneer for the live auction portion of the evening. The only way such an evening can take place is with the love and care of volunteers. Emily Dageforde H’12, mother of Sean ’14, was the chair of the event. She steadfastly organized and encouraged her team in making celebraTion a winner. Vice-president of School Advancement Joe Porter ’78 is the school’s point person for the event. We send thousands of thanks to all who helped make celebraTion a huge success, whether as a donor, volunteer, sponsor or patron.