Last Saturday, hundreds of families gathered together to celebrate and support the St. Dominic community at the annual Night of the Crusader Gala. At the Gala, a silent auction serves as the main entertainment along with the exciting donations made by families who support the school.

Donations made by participants in the auction go on to benefit the students in addition to the rest of the St. Dominic community. It costs our school about $13,000 per student to offer all of St. Dominic’s teaching and technology. Since that cost is higher than the tuition for every student, the Night of the Crusader Gala is a crucial event that keeps the school operating smoothly in regards to finances.

“It’s a chance to celebrate our community with current and past families. And we raise significant funds to help support the school beyond just tuition,” stated St. Dominic President Jim Welby.

The Gala takes about a year of advanced planning with Mrs. Ballard, the Director of Advancement at St. Dominic, overseeing most of the arrangements. She has the important job of calculating the amount of people attending and preparing for all guests to enjoy their night at the Gala. Just this year, there were about 570 people who attended the event. In addition organizing the guests, she also handled the music, the auction and the dinner that was served.

The Night of the Crusader Gala is a great time for anyone in the St. Dominic community to come together and celebrate the success of our school. It is a time of unity that brings us closer to the four pillars of St. Dominic: prayer, community, service and faith. The event also gives us the opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of the individuals who single-handedly brought everyone together. We would like to thank all of the St. Dominic teachers and staff for all of their tireless efforts to help our school and community each and every day.