Rooted: Nurturing Faith, Growing Futures.

That’s the theme for the 2024 Friends of St. Thomas Aquinas Ball.

The event is Saturday, April 27, at the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Center, 1000 Des Moines Street, Webster City. It begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $60.

The goal of the annual Ball is to raise money in support of the private Catholic school, according to Heidi Tesdahl, who organizes the event each year.

“The Ball helps to offset the operating budget and provide all-important resources for our school,” she has said in the past. “This event is the biggest celebration on campus, bringing together alumni, friends, community supporters, and parents of children of all ages in support of St. Thomas School.”

The school is not just for Catholics, she emphasized.

“We have helped many students in the community through the years grow in faith, service and academics. Our identity is firmly rooted in the Catholic faith, but our school is not just for Catholics, but for people of all faiths.”

Last year, the Ball raised $233,000; in 2022, the Ball raised $249,000. That was the year Jim and Judy Bergkamp and the Colleen and Dennis Tasler Family were honored with the Friend of St. Thomas Award.

Jeanne Hill was honored with that award in 2023. The award is given based on nominations and selected by a committee, Tesdahl said.

She isn’t disclosing the name of this year’s honoree just yet; that will have to wait until the festivities begin.

Reid Jarvis, a Des Moines-area band, will help them kick off. Jarvis, according to his website, is a singer-songwriter from Springfield, Missouri, who is currently based in Des Moines. His music has been compared to artists of all generations, from Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen to Ed Sheeran and Marcus Mumford.

Back is the raffle drawing, the Grand Prize of which is $10,000 in cash. The Grand Prize drawing will be held at approximately 10:30 p.m. that evening — you do not need to be present to win. Tickets are still available.

Second prize is $2,000 in cash. Third prize is $1,000 in SCRIP gift cards.

Then there’s dinner, cocktails and the live and silent auctions.

This year’s menu is barbeque and will include:

Texas Caviar Grain Salad, creamy coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni & cheese, Jalapeno Corn Spoonbread, baked beans, smoked brisket, pulled pork, New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, slider rolls & cracked rolls.

Assorted cupcakes will be served for dessert.

The specialty drink is Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade.

Live Auction items include, but are not limited to:

Class projects (each class creates an unique project with involvement from students and volunteers to auction off live);

Catering for your next Super Bowl party;

Beautiful diamond necklace from Gilbert Jewelers;

One-half of a beef;

In-Home Private Dinner by chef with Michelin Star experience;

Hamilton County Speedway Party Deck for a night with friends at the races;

Two beautiful handmade quilts;

Girls Day Out with a winery stop and crafting at Board & Brush;

Med spa treatments;

Reserved tables for next years event;

Dinner out with Father Francis Anane, parish and school priest.

“Silent Auction items include many certificates and items from local and surrounding communities and we are thankful for the support shown by individuals and businesses in the community,” Tesdahl said.

Live auction items will only be sold at the event, she said. Silent auctions will be online and will be available this weekend and remain open until Monday, April 29, at 9 p.m. Watch the school Facebook page for the link to be shared.

It all adds up to a night of celebration to help St. Thomas continue to cultivate the educational roots that have been a part of the greater Webster City community for more than 70 years. Tesdahl volunteers her time to help with the Ball, but she is also the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish & School development director, so she is uniquely positioned to promote the well-being of the preschool through sixth-grade school, which opened in the fall of 1952.

“Proceeds from the event directly benefit St. Thomas Aquinas School,” Tesdahl said. “Ten percent of the proceeds are put into the school endowment account as we work to build up that fund for future needs of the school. The remainder of the proceeds go to help support general needs of the school as our tuition revenue per pupil is much lower than the cost to educate. The school relies on funds from this event to fill the gap.”

Tickets for the Ball and raffle can be purchased at the St. Thomas Aquinas Church and School, by calling 515-832-1346, or by accessing the website stthomasball.com. You can also find information about the Ball on the Facebook page St. Thomas Aquinas School.