STM Raises Nearly $300,000 at Auction Fundraiser

4/3/2023

St. Thomas More High School proudly announces that its dinner auction fundraiser, themed Cheers to 50 Years, raised nearly $300,000 to support school operations and student scholarships. Over 400 guests attended the event on March 25, and hundreds of supporters participated online.

April 3, 2023: St. Thomas More High School proudly announces that its dinner auction fundraiser, themed Cheers to 50 Years, raised nearly $300,000 to support school operations and student scholarships. Over 400 guests attended the event on March 25, and hundreds of supporters participated online.

Cheers to 50 Years is the first St. Thomas More auction fundraiser with more than $250,000 in gross revenue, making this year’s event the most financially successful since it began in 1984. This year’s event shattered the previous record of $226,000 set at last year’s dinner auction.

“I have been part of the STM Dinner Auction since 2000 – first as a student volunteer, then as a guest, then a member of the planning team, and for the last several years, the leader of the event,” St. Thomas More development and alumni director Dan Steffes (TM ’03) said. “I am so proud of what our event has grown into; we are truly blessed with the support of an amazing community. It wasn’t that long ago that we were excited to surpass $100,000 in revenue, so to be brushing up against $300,000 is really something special. It shows that the Cavalier family spirit is as alive and well as it has ever been.”

Cheers to 50 Years celebrated the 50th school year for St. Thomas More High School, which was formed after the merger of Don Bosco and Pio Nono High Schools. Starting on March 20, event guests and online participants could bid on over 200 items, packages, and experiences in our silent auction. The silent auction closed during the event on March 25, and event attendees could then bid on a dozen special experiences in our live auction.

At the dinner auction, St. Thomas More awards the Chancellor Award, the school’s highest honor, to an exceptional supporter who has demonstrated their commitment to Catholic education.

Brian (TM ’73) and Irene Binash have supported St. Thomas More High School for decades, supporting a wide range of needs, including scholarships, facilities planning, and teacher salary initiatives. Living in Houston, Texas, they have had tremendously successful careers – Brian as a CEO of multiple home building companies and Irene as an executive with ExxonMobil. They share a passion for charitable causes, particularly those that are faith- or education-based. Their investment in STM over the years has encouraged the school to keep an eye on the future, focusing on how to keep the school viable for many years to come.

“We’re so grateful to Brian and Irene,” St. Thomas More president John Hoch said in the Chancellor Award video, which premiered at the event. “They’re one of the many alumni who just care so much about the school, and they have helped us through good times and bad, and they’re one of the reasons that we’re really flourishing as a school today.”

Once the live auction and dinner program concluded, St. Thomas More senior Nora Hirthe introduced the school’s Fund the Future campaign, which supports scholarships for St. Thomas More students. Hirthe shared a few of her favorite memories from high school – sporting events, service projects, retreats – and explained how small moments with her friends helped define her experience at St. Thomas More. Guests were then asked to raise their paddles to contribute to Fund the Future, giving future generations of students the same opportunity to form lasting memories during their high school careers.

“When you are thinking about supporting the Fund the Future tonight, I want you to think about the big and the small moments you had in high school, no matter where you attended,” Hirthe said in her speech. “Your support can make both types of moments possible for the next generation of students at STM.”

St. Thomas More’s Fund the Future campaign raised nearly $115,000. 2023 is the first year that a Fund the Future campaign raised over $100,000.

“It was inspiring to see such tremendous support for St. Thomas More, especially during Fund the Future,” event co-chair Rachel Arndt said. “This school means so much to so many people, and the auction is a great opportunity to give back while reconnecting with fellow alumnae.” A 1997 alumna herself, Arndt’s son is a current St. Thomas More student, and her daughter graduated in 2019. Her husband, siblings, and cousins are also St. Thomas More graduates.

After the popularity of the MOREopoly game board in 2021 and roulette wheel in 2022, St. Thomas More allowed supporters to sponsor a celebratory birthday cake to commemorate 50 Years of St. Thomas More High School. Along with support from alumni, parents, and other members of the St. Thomas More community, Cheers to 50 Years also benefited from several corporate sponsors, including the Milwaukee Admirals, Catalyst Construction, Cardinal Fabricating Corporation, Pegasus Partners, and Butters-Fetting.

“The incredible success of this year’s auction would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors,” said event co-chair Jon Greenberg, whose daughter graduated from St. Thomas More in 2021. “We are grateful to all our supporters for their generosity, and we hope they will continue supporting St. Thomas More at future auctions.”

To watch the Binashs’ Chancellor Award video, which premiered at Cheers to 50 Years, please visit the St. Thomas More High School YouTube Page: youtube.com/StThomasMoreHighSchool.

To support the Fund the Future campaign, visit tmore.org/2023auction.

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