The Academy’s 31st Annual Auction, “A Midwinter Night’s Dream,” was held at Allegheny Country Club on Saturday, February 10, 2018. Auction chairs and parents, Claire (Kendrick ’78) Stanton and Amanda DiTano, along with Jenna Stevenson, presented a winter wonderland for all in attendance. Senior School student volunteers included sophomores Isabella Alvarado, Aditya Menon, Navin Rana, Jeb Stevenson, and Ella Zhou; juniors Will Stevenson, Nicholas Valenta, and Joe Wyche; and Grade 8 student Anthony DiTano who assisted guests with the Text2Bid software, located items, and helped organize and sort items post-auction.
The event had a cozy fire roaring in Allegheny’s living room when guests arrived to register. They enjoyed a cocktail hour while perusing the silent and live auction items up for bid, and the room had a warm and energetic feel despite the snowy winter white- and blue-themed party. The silent auction items were displayed amidst snowflakes and birch logs and included a variety of exclusive trips, student artwork, sports memorabilia, sparkling jewelry from Orr’s Jewelers, home items, photography packages, and exclusive specialty wines, to name a few!
Fabulous prizes donated by parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, and other SA friends were up for bid during the live auction, which included trips to Colorado, the Outer Banks, Cabo, and Napa Valley to tour Failla Winery. Other popular items included the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Pittsburgh Pirates game, golf for 40 at Olde Stonewall Golf Club, an autographed Pittsburgh Steelers #84 Antonio Brown jersey, a Pittsburgh Penguins suite, Head of School for the Day, and an irresistible Taste of Spain party for 15 with Academy Spanish teachers Alison Daniel and Mónica Lynn, featuring cuisine from chef and SA parent David Lee, and so much more!
There were also Fund-A-Need items that enabled guests to make a direct monetary donation to support Breakthrough Pittsburgh, the purchase of two kilns for the ceramics studio, and a new multimedia audio and effects system for the Gregg Family Theater.
Socializing and bidding from smartphones enabled guests to connect with old and new friends via our Text2Bid app, and those who were unable to attend were offered a bid number so that they could participate from anywhere.
The ballroom was elegant and earthy with pine boughs, snowy evergreen trees, and pine cones displayed atop white floor length tablecloths with natural burlap runners. Attendees enjoyed a winter feast of appetizers, braised short ribs, lobster macaroni and cheese, fine wines, and a white chocolate bread pudding topped with Irish coffee.
The Annual Auction brings the Sewickley Academy community together to show their support and pride for the Academy each year and is one of our favorite fundraising events. This year, we raised over $247,500!
We’d like to extend a special thank you to our many sponsors, donors, advertisers, attendees, and volunteers who shared their time, talent, and treasures with our school. This special and important event is only successful because of YOU!
Fund-A-Need: $70,775
Breakthrough Pittsburgh: $50,500
Sound System for Gregg Theater: $12,250
Kilns: $3,600
Cash: $4,425 (supports any need at SA)
Other: $177,171 (includes sponsorships, tickets, parent underwriting, purchases, advertisements, and other cash donations)
