Gala

List of 10 items.

• Consider Sponsorship or Underwriting

  Consider participating as Moonlight Masquerade Sponsor.

   

  Each Gala is the result of the contributions of time and resources from many members of our community. An important form of support is through Sponsorship to help offset costs. This year we have three different and exciting sponsorship levels to offer. 

   

   

  New Moon

  At this $1,000 underwriting level, you will receive:

      2 tickets to the Moonlight Masquerade Gala

  A box of Dark Midnight Sea Salt Caramels

   

   

  Crescent Moon

  At this $2,500 underwriting level, you will receive:

     2 tickets to the Moonlight Masquerade Gala

  A box of Dark Midnight Sea Salt Caramels

  Luxurious Eye Masks

  Recognition on our website

   

  Full Moon

  At this $5,000 underwriting level, you will receive

     2 tickets to the Moonlight Masquerade Gala

  A box of Dark Midnight Sea Salt Caramels

  Luxurious Eye Masks

  One Bottle of Champagne

  Recognition on our website and at the Gala

  
  
  

  Or please consider becoming an underwriter. If you would like to donate to help a specific  Live auction item, please contact Stephanie Kruse

   

   

• Moonlight Masquerade- What to Expect

  Priory's Gala, Moonlight Masquerade will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 5:30 at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club. What to expect, see our Gala Guide here.
  
  With more than 300 parents, teachers, and staff in attendance, the evening will include cocktails, a seated dinner, a wine raffle, our Live Auction including Fund-a-Future and dancing.

• Moonlight Masquerade Wish List

  Searching for Auction Items!
  We hope to offer lots of and exotic locales for our Moonlight Masquerade Gala. Here are some examples of what sell well: 
  

  • Vacation Homes in Hawaii, Mexico, San Diego, Tahoe, Wine Country, and Carmel
  • Hotel Stays & Weekend Getaways
  • Tickets to Concerts, Sporting Games, Symphony or Musicals
  • Special Access to Wineries and Backstage Passes
  • Access to Private Chefs and Private Aviation
  • Once in Lifetime Memory Moments
  • Jewelry 
  • Restaurant and Spa Gift Certificates
  • Golf Foursomes at Country Clubs 
  • Special Wine & Spirits
  • Count Me-In Parties for Adults and Kids

  Ready to donate now, click here

• Dress to Impress

  What to wear to our Moonlight Masquerade Gala? It's all about the mask and glamor! Weather elaborate, silly or mysterious. Pair with your ball gown or cocktail dress or suit.  Get creative and come in disguise and later reveal yourself if you dare.
  

  • To get you inspired, we’ve put together a look book with some ideas
  • Or - wear what you have in your closet and add with one these masks
    
    
    2024: Off to the Wizard Photos
    2023: Nightfall in Casablanca Photos
    2022: Priory Bonds Photos
    
    .

• Invitations & Registration

  Priory's Moonlight Masquerade Gala invitations will be mailed in early February. Our Silent Auction will be entirely online, so it’s essential to register if you want to get your hands on our extraordinary offerings like vacation homes, fine wines, and sports tickets.  Our Silent Auction will open on Wednesday March 13th and close on Monday March 18th at noon.

• How Seating Works

  Gather your friends and create your table of ten.  If you don’t wish to form a table of ten, we will do our best to seat you with parents from your grade. We will have our seating link ready in February of 2025.

• How Does the Wine Raffle Work

  Instantly upgrade your wine cellar with just one raffle ticket. We will offer nine opportunities for you to win one of our wine groupings. We have gathered a fabulous assortment of fine wine --  all with excellent ratings, each bottle is worth on average $97.00, and most with 90 points and above on the Parker scale.

  
  

  – 1 ticket for $100

  – 3 tickets for $250

  – 7 tickets for $500 

  – 15 tickets for $1,000

  
  

  You will have an opportunity to buy your wine raffle tickets when you register to attend, and at any time up until the afternoon of the Gala. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to upgrade your own personal wine collection. 

• Silent Auction - online only

  Our Moonlight Masquerade Silent Auction catalog is online only. Don't forget to register ahead of time, so you can receive an email/text to get instant notification when our online auction is opening and closing. We offer several online categories
  

  • Parties-- both Count Me In and Buy the whole
  • Travel & Tickets -- Vacation homes and tickets to events,
  • Only at Priory -- items made by our Monks and Staff
  • Great Finds - gift certificates to stores and services

  Silent Auction Schedule:
  Monday March 24- Catalog Preview
  Wednesday March 26th - Silent Auction Opens at 10:00am
  Monday March 30th - Silent Auction Closes at 12:00pm
  
  
  Bidding – Strategize Ahead of Time

  There are three ways to bid on silent items. 

  • A traditional bid: place a fixed-amount bid on an item, and you will be notified through the bidding app on your phone if your bid has been exceeded by another bidder.
  • Buy It Now: allows you to purchase an item right away for a fixed price, rather than bid on it. Once you Buy It Now, that item is no longer up for auction, and is yours.  Many of the silent items will have Buy It Now pricing.
  • Max Bid: you set a maximum bid for yourself, and the system will automatically bid in your favor until that max bid is reached. If your bid is lower than another bidder’s highest max bid on that package, you will be prompted to enter a higher bid. Many silent items will have Max Bid pricing.
  • For live items, there will be bid paddles at your table for you to hold up during the Live Auction. If you would like to bid on a Live Item and can not attend the Gala, please contact Stephanie Kruse to place your bids
  • New this year! 
    The Mystery and Intrigue Continues. This year we will offer a few Pay to Play that will only be available the night of the Gala. Arrive early to find out the surprise parties and sign up. Don't miss out

  
  2024: Off to See the Wizard Catalog
  2023: Nightfall in Casablanca Catalog
  2022: Priory Bonds Catalog

• Bidding With Friends

  Often groups of friends decide to bid on an item together; this happens often with “buy the whole” parties or live items. If you want to purchase an item with friends, reach out to your friends before the Gala to form a syndicate. Prior to bidding, agree on who is in the group and the maximum you are all willing to pay for the item. You can be a member of more than one group as long as you aren’t the lead bidder and you don’t share the maximum bid of the groups you’re participating in. The “lead bidder” does the bidding. We can easily split the the cost of your item with your friends on everyone's personal Invoice. Please let Stephanie Kruse know after the Gala. 

• Support Priory's Fund A Future

  Let's keep Priory able to provide an outstanding Benedictine education for all. Did you know that one in five students receives financial assistance at Priory? Our Fund-A-Future campaign secures resources for Priory's financial aid fund. During the Live Auction, you can hold up your paddle at different donation levels to support financial aid.  We hope we can count on you to support this vital part of the evening.