by Olivia Casabona, ’25

On Saturday, December 4th 2021, Kennedy Catholic held its 40th Annual Auction. After moving the event to a virtual format in 2020, the Advancement Department was excited to see great in-person attendance this year in addition to offering bidding online. With the help of Maria Abbamont P’18, ’24 and a team of dedicated Kennedy parents, the Lakeview Room was transformed into magical Italian restaurant, right out of the classic film Casablanca.

The decoration throughout the event stayed true to the theme, truly a night in Casablanca. The night started with ticket sales for a raffle on many great commodities donated by supporters of the Kennedy Catholic community, such as jewelry from the Mexican Shack right here in Somers.

There was delicious food catered by Little Sorrentos, and great music courtesy of Mr. Melito and his band, along with Kennedy alumnus and pianist, Nick Tinger ’18. After a wonderful meal, the Silent Auction started, which was a huge success. With the hard work and leadership of Kim Mullholland P’16,’19,’21, the Silent Auction featured over 70 beautiful baskets donated by Kennedy families, friends, and local businesses like Decicco’s in Somers. The Silent Auction was also available to bidders who chose to stay at home and compete in the high stakes game remotely.

After the Silent Auction concluded, guests moved into the auditorium for the Live Auction. Some of the wonderful items that were donated were suite tickets for a Yankee game, a stay at a traditional Irish cottage in Limerick, Ireland, and a golf foursome with Father Vaillancourt. After the end of the auction portion of the night, dessert was served and the items were given to the winners of the raffles.

Overall, the whole event was a momentous success for the school community. On behalf of all of Kennedy we’d like to thank the volunteers, caterers, and all the attendants that helped us make the night one to remember.