by Rachel Hunter
The 2022 St. James Gala “Viva St. James” was a thrill for the North Country as they placed their bets, gambling to win top prizes and auction items at the annual gala. This was the second year that the St. James Gala was held via a virtual format amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The St. James Gala featured a live auction and virtual gala event on Saturday, February 12 and a virtual silent auction that was open from Saturday, February 5 until Sunday, February 13. The event is annual fundraiser to benefit the St. James School in Gouverneur.
For over 60 years, St. James School has provided outstanding education to students in the community. The mission of St. James Parish School is to provide a quality Catholic education for students to grow spiritually, academically, socially, and physically, in partnership with families and in harmony with the specific gifts given by God to each student. With generous donations and contributions from local businesses and community members, the funds raised at the St. James Gala help to fund the academic programs, resources and activities, such as the book club, cooking club, STEM learning activities, technology, and much more. This year, St. James School has added a school counselor, 35 new chromebooks, two new interwrite boards, and a new roof. Organizers said that the community’s support is vital especially during these challenging times. All proceeds will go to the general fund, allowing St. James to continue its mission at St. James School in Gouverneur.
The Gala Gals (Jeanne Sweeney, Elaine Terpstra, Julie Wainwright, Clara Cummings, Gidget Wainwright, Mary Beth Friot, Bridgette LaPierre and Joni Bates) ensured that the event was a success. The St. James Gala and Live Auction event opened on Saturday, February 12 with St. James School Principal Bridgette LaPierre and St. James Alumna Julie Wainwright welcoming all in attendance on the Facebook Live platform. More than 200 viewers were logged on throughout the evening. Father James “Jay” Seymour offered a blessing, which in part said the following: “Lord God, you are the source of all good gifts. On this festive evening, celebrating the St. James School Gala, we gather with grateful and joy-filled hearts as we acknowledge the people in the community who have done so much to continue the school mission here at St. James School… a school which has offered for over 60 years a quality, holistic and value-based Christian education for our students. We are grateful for all of our sponsors. We are grateful for all people who support our school. And we also acknowledge that there are some great prizes to be offered tonight, but the best prize and the ultimate prize, Lord, is to live and love with you and one another for now and for all eternity. We ask God’s blessings on all of you…”
Much gratitude was extended to all those in attendance for their continued generosity. All those in attendance were asked the following question: “Have you ever been in St. James School at any time of your life?” The names of those who commented on the live feed were included in a door prize for an Olive Garden basket, which was won by Kimberly Flood.
Auctioneer Don Peck of Gouverneur then started the live auction, encouraging bidders to “bid high and often” in support of St. James School. The items included the following: “Faith on Fire” Pit created by the Southwest Tech (BOCES) welding class, All-American Package (includes Woodburned Flag and American Flag hand-crafted cornhole game, donated by Constance Construction), Insulated Hunting Shack donated by Silver Line Spray Foam, Nature Excursion to the Terpstra Family Farm (which included a Back to Nature Basket donated by the Bartholomew Family), Favorite Things Party hosted by the Gala Gals, Mangia with the Pistolesi Family, Basketball Hoop, Car Care Package, and a Progressive Dinner at Sylvia Lake. The live auction received many bids from generous community members, the top bids coming for the following items: The Progressive Dinner at Sylvia Lake, where the winning bidder would enjoy cocktails and appetizers on a lake cruise with Shawn and Clara Cummings, the first course at the home of John and Jeanette Perry, the main course at the home of Joel and Bridgette LaPierre, and dessert with Sara and Derek Breckenridge. The winning bid came in at $1,400.
A hot ticket item was Mangia with the Pistolesi Family. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, you still can’t “eat-in” at the Casablanca, but this coupon received high bids as it would allow the winning bidder to do just that. With this auction item, the Casablanca Restaurant would open just for the winning bidder and five friends to enjoy a family style dinner with the Pistolesi Family. The winning bid came in at $1,100, and due to the high demand, John Pistolesi said he would offer the opportunity to three bidders at $1,100 each. Much gratitude was extended to the Pistolesi family for their support of St. James School.
Numerous card hands were purchased for this year’s Texas Hold ‘Em game, and Gouverneur native Renea Atiemo won the 50/50 prize of $550.
Hundreds of tickets were also purchased for the 2022 Key Raffle, with featured special prizes included in 10 treasure chests. The winners were announced as follows: Jewelry Package featuring diamond earrings totaling over 1 karat donated by Brown’s Jewelers in Gouverneur (Jennifer Davis), Fueling Up by Philly Fuels (Ashley June), $500 Cash (Betsy Cummings), 300 Gallons of Fuel Oil donated by Bush Fuels (Sara Breckenridge), Romantic Evening Jacuzzi Room at the Clearview, Dinner at Mullins Restaurant and Champagne Basket (Kari Burkett), Elegant Evening Package at the Lawrence Manor and include two tickets to the 2023 St. James Gala and two hairstyles by Tangles (Judy Brown), Queen for a Day at Tangles Day Spa (Memory Payne), About Town featuring local gift certificates from businesses in the Gouverneur community (Dionna Leung), Something for Him featuring $300 gift certificate from Small Town Supply (Dawn Bango), and Cash It In with over 100 scratch-off lottery tickets (Deb Mattot).
North Country community members also took the opportunity during the St. James Gala to become a “Tuition Angel” by making a donation of $200. A generous contributor donated funds for a $5,000 match. The funds raised will go directly to credit a family’s tuition balance for those who qualify for tuition assistance, based on income or other life situations such as a loss of job or family illness. Principal LaPierre said that over 35 percent of students at St. James School qualify at poverty level. Much gratitude was extended to all those who participated for their support of St. James students.
There were two special raffle drawings at the conclusion of the evening. Principal LaPierre said that students had been submitting raffle tickets for two special prizes, and the following winners were announced: Family Game Night (Kim Prashaw) and Fidget Fun (Brewer Gardner).
Much gratitude was extended to the generous contributions made by the 2022 St. James Gala Sponsors, which include the following: At Crown of Jewels – Tim and Diane Monroe.
At Diamond Level – Gouverneur Savings and Loan, RSI Roofing Inc., Joe Laurenza,
At Platinum Level – Superior Plus Propane.
At Gold Level – Team Blevins LLC & Blevins Ford Inc., Weekes Insurance Agency, Case and Leader LLP, Empire State Mines LLC, Family of Anatolio (Tony) and Quinta Pistolesi, Albert and Theresa Desormeaux, Judy Brown.
At Silver Level – Dr. Scott Day, KPH Healthcare, Friend of St. James, Family of Joseph Pistolesi, Marlene Hajal Mousaikel, MD and family, family of Marianno and Maybelle Pistolesi.
At Bronze Level – A-Plus Auto Care Inc., Friends of St. James, NY Pizzeria, Richville Furniture, Firley, Moran, Feer, Eassa CPA, Newvine’s Auto Parts LLC, Specialty Floors.
Friends of Gala – Advanced Business Systems, BCS Landscaping, Brown’s Jewelry, Bush Fuels, Clearview Motel, Lawrence Manor, Northern Collision, Philly Fuels Inc., Small Town Supply, Tangles Salon and various local vendors.
For more information about St. James School, visit stjamesk6.org.