Bishop's dinner benefits all diocesan Catholic schools

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
August 12, 2004

Each year the Bishop's Dinner for Catholic Education is a way for supporters of Catholic education to come together to celebrate the successes of the diocesan schools. The dinner also happens to be the diocese's premier fundraising event benefiting every diocesan Catholic school.

According to Jim Wharton, diocesan director of stewardship, there are two sources of income from the dinner - ticket sales and dinner sponsorships. He added that the greatest percentage of funds are raised as a result of the sponsorships.

"If we have a good year on sponsorships, that really helps our final distribution in the end," he said. "We have had a good mixture of businesses and individuals serve as sponsors."

Sponsorships start at $500 (Friends of Catholic Education) and go up to $10,000 (Bishop's Leadership Circle). Each level includes a designated number of dinner tickets. The stewardship director pointed out that oftentimes businesses will buy a table of eight for a $5,000 sponsorship (Chancellor's Leadership Circle).

Tickets, which are available for $125 per person, will go on sale Aug. 19 for the Eighth Annual Bishop's Dinner for Catholic Education that is slated for Oct. 17 at the Sioux City Convention Center. Native son Bishop Dennis Schnurr will deliver the keynote address.

"This is an event that can have a very positive impact on the Catholic school that people have in their parish or community," said Wharton. "As we are collecting sponsorships and selling tickets, the funds are distributed on a very equitable basis to all of the schools."

He explained that there are three parts to the distribution formula.

First of all, between $80-$85 dollars of every $125 ticket sold is given directly to the school of their choice. This means that for every 10 tickets sold from a particular community, the Catholic school would receive at least $800.

Second, Wharton explained that $30,000 is taken out of the proceeds to fund the Instructional Grants Program for the Catholic School Foundation. Last year every diocesan school benefited from this grant program that funded assorted instructional material that ranged from books to software.

"The third and final piece is that we take whatever is leftover and divide it up on a per student basis," he said. "The money the schools receive from the bishop's dinner is discretionary money. They can spend it where they have the greatest need in the school."

Last year's dinner raised about $90,000.

Sherry Nilles, development director for Spalding Catholic Schools and a member of the bishop's dinner committee, said the bishop's dinner gives people an opportunity to be a part of the bigger church.

"The dinner not only helps Spalding, but it helps all of the schools," she said. "It gets people together who are all working for the same cause."

Along with providing a wonderful evening of good entertainment and food, Nilles added that the financial benefit to the schools is also great.

"We get a wonderful return," she said.

Last year Spalding received about $2,000 and this year she anticipates even more money as greater participation is expected given the fact that Bishop Schnurr is a 1966 graduate of Spalding.

"We are very proud of him," said Nilles. "He is a good example for us to follow."

Dawn Prosser, development director for St. Mary's School and Parish in Storm Lake, agreed that the bishop's dinner is a nice way to get the people of the diocese together. Each year she finds it heart-warming to see all of the support.

"The more people the schools have attend the dinner, the more money they will get back," stressed Wharton.

Prosser pointed out that if people are unable to attend the dinner, they can still make a contribution.

For those who want to purchase a ticket in order to support Catholic education but have no desire to attend the event, they might consider contributing their ticket for a Bishop's Dinner Scholarship. This program enables persons such as sisters, retired priests and even some parents to receive a ticket to attend, who would otherwise be unable to go.

Prosser said the dinner is always an affirming evening, centered around the value of Catholic education.

The evening kicks off at 4:30 p.m. and organizers already plan to tighten the schedule so that it wraps up earlier enough for those traveling from areas such as Algona, Boone and Fort Dodge.