Saturday evening (March 19) the MMCRU High School parking lot was filling up with cars before 6 o’clock. What was going on?! It was the Royal Scholarship Dinner or what I had been calling the “MMCRU Foundation Dinner”. Beside food, and bidding of items to go toward scholarships for the graduates of 2022, this was a time for fellowship!
I did call this the MMCRU Foundation but at the recent School Board meeting there was the item on the agenda where RU was to name some Foundation members. I wasn’t aware there were two Foundation Boards until that night. However, these two Boards have worked together on this project, so would it be wrong to call it MMCRU Foundation! It does take both to promote this worthy project.
Once inside the gym we saw tables all set up for a picnic style supper. Tables had folders stating what we were there for and what was being offered. Each folder had a thank you from a former graduate and how much the results of this dinner meant to them.
Along the walls of the gym were items to be sold by silent auction. You would put your name down and what you wanted to pay for the item. If someone else wanted this same item, your bid would be gone to now theirs! Items around the gym consisted of items from Country Creations and from Details. There was shampoo and conditioner to bid on as well as a package of “nail” products for your nails. Several baskets of assorted items in each were offered.
We cannot forget your vehicles! Wyatt had Car Care products offered, Ames Body shop had a tool offered, and Hesse’ had an offer to good to pass up! We cannot forget the O’Henry Bars that were very tempting. All kinds of passes were offered Brown’s Theater in Le Mars, both theaters in Le Mars and Cherokee, passes to the swimming pool, Country Club passes as well as gift certificates from Remsen and Marcus restaurants. The banks had packages and there was a dental package as well. Had you thought of maybe bidding on a pass to the Okoboji Arnold’s Park? Now was your time! The farm tractor sent by Wade and Kathy Berger was just what a little boy would want or maybe an adult! There was a lawyer from Le Mars offering a time for an “estate planning”. These were just a few of the many items offered.
Up on the stage were the many items to be “auctioned” off. 2 packs of steaks, 200 gallons of Red Diesel, lemon breads, pies, cupcakes, cinnamon and pecan rolls, passes to several upcoming events, wood carvings, wooden signs, two wood side tables, wood serving trays, corn hole games with bags of beans, car wash passes, quilts, pillows, and pictures from the 150 Marcus celebration. Graduation is coming up and if you don’t have time to make mints_well, there was a person offering to make them for you if you won the bid! There were two of the Semi-State Basketballs with the players endorsements on each. At the very end of the auction, there was a beautifully made toy box that went for over $300!
Now it was time to go back to your table and get served. Supper consisted of pork loin sandwich, broasted potato wedges, coleslaw or macaroni salad and a cookie. Lemonade, water, and coffee were the beverages. The graduating class were the servers. (The Plymouth County Pork Producers donated the meat.) While we were eating, the speech students who went to State with their speeches, read their winning speech to us.
There was still time to make another round to see if your bid on the silent items had been “outbid”. If so, there was just a little bit of time left to try again!
Time was up! Get ready to see if your bid was good. The items along the walls had the winning names and amount it cost read and then it was time for the stage items to be auctioned off. This year Chuck Ogren was the auctioneer. Ben Letsche and Christina Wilkens helped as each graduate brought up an item to be auctioned off.
Yes, it was “Going once, Going Twice, and Sold to……whoever the lucky winner was! The 200 gallons of Red Diesel went for $1,050. Breads went for $70 plus. A pie went for $60 and another pie had ice cream with it and went for $350. The three dozen of rolls went for $900 plus. Wood serving trays went for $100 plus. The Estate planning went for $75. A wooden flag went for $300 and the Soldier Sign went for $250. 4 tickets to Kansas City Royals and Parking Pass went for $350. A John Deere Fire Pit went for $200. Five dozen homemade carmels went for $160. “What a Wonderful World Sign” (wooden) went for $325. A Quilt Barn Star went for $325. The two end tables went for $200. The Watkins basket went for $225. Pillows went for $25 and up. Quilts went for $150 and up. The two signed basketballs went for $300 plus.
I inquired later in the week to see what this Royal Scholarship Dinner brought in. It was a $15,000 night! Thanks to all those who donated and to those who purchased for this worthy project_sending our graduates off with a little financial help!