St. Patrick School Annual Shamrock Auction Aiming for Online Success

The Shamrock Auction started 19 years ago and continues to be one of St. Patrick School's largest fundraisers. All proceeds are split between the school general fund and the St. Patrick Athletic Association. Since its inception, the auction has raised 1.2 million dollars.

This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, April 24. Due to the current Covid-19 restrictions that are in place, we will be unable to host this as an in-person event. We will instead host our annual auction as a virtual online event that will still take place on the scheduled date, April 24, and will run from 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

One of the positive items about hosting the event online is that there is no entry fee necessary, and everyone is invited to participate. All one needs to do is go online and register for the event at http://bidpal.net/shamrocksauction2021. All bidding for items will be done through our new software straight from your phone or device. Another huge benefit is there will be no waiting in line to bid on items in the silent auction and there will be no line for checking out.

Although we are disappointed that we won’t be able to gather to celebrate our school, we do believe this is an opportunity to come together online as a faith and school community to make this event a huge success. We do need your support for this event, which is the largest fundraiser and major source of revenue for the school and our athletic programs. We do hope that despite the challenges we are all currently facing, everyone will still donate generously to St. Patrick School. In fact, one of the best ways to help our auction be successful this year is for those attending online to generously purchase the various raffle tickets that are available since we are unable to sell them in-person at the event.

The Shamrock Auction requires a lot of hard work and a huge commitment of time from many people. Its success stems from a great volunteer committee and the dedication of parents, family, friends, alumni, and the support of many local businesses! Please tell your friends, tell your family, and reach out to former classmates and encourage them to log on the night of the auction. Again, the online event is free to participate. One must simply go to http://bidpal.net/shamrocksauction2021 and create your account, purchase your raffle tickets, make a donation, and get ready to bid.

If you have any questions or would like to donate an item to the Shamrock Auction, please contact Mike and Ann Kissane at (517)604-1852 or kissanes@hotmail.com

In the meantime, mark your calendars for April 24 for the big event but also make sure to watch the school website (portlandstpats.com) and Facebook page (St. Patrick School – Portland, Michigan) right after spring break for announcements that will reveal our silent and live auction items. Make sure to plan a great evening of fun with family right from your own home while social distancing. We are excited and looking forward to our virtual Shamrock Auction. We hope to see you “virtually” at the 2022 Shamrock Auction.

Randy Hodge is the High School Principal at St. Patrick School.