Members of the Catholic parishes that make up the Kuemper Catholic School System gathered Wednesday night to kick off fundraising and preparation for the 35th Annual Friends of Kuemper Ball. Before introducing this year’s co-chairs, President, John Steffes, reminded the individuals in attendance how important this event is for the continued success of the schools. In previous years, money raised has been used to improve teacher pay, provide tuition assistance to students, purchase new equipment and more. Steffes said this is all thanks to the remarkable generosity of their donors.
The annual event hit a milestone in 2018 and has now raised over $10 million since its inception. Rich and Tonya Ortner, parishioners of Holy Spirit Church in Carroll, and Josh and Valerie Riesberg, members of St. Augustine parish in Halbur, were announced as co-chairs for the event. Riesberg unveiled the theme for this year’s ball.
The event will take place a week earlier than usual this year and is scheduled for Saturday, April 27 at the Kuemper Fieldhouse. According to Alumni and Giving Director, Cindy Lawler, the ball might seem like a long time from now, but she stressed the importance of this fundraiser for Kuemper students and staff.
Tickets for the ball are $45 per person/$90 per couple, a slight increase from last year. Fundraisers will again be selling $10 general raffle tickets, along with the popular ag and vehicle raffles. Dinner will be served from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. that evening with announcements getting underway at 8 p.m. Any of these can be purchased from any of the chair couples or by contacting the school at 792-3313.
