Annual Auction & Gala

The Gala is our school's largest annual social and fundraising event -- our biggest party of the year! It brings together families, friends, faculty, staff, clergy, alumni and distinguished guests from the Christ Episcopal community for a night of fun and festivity. The money raised at the Auction helps offset the costs of educating each child at CES, allows us to continue to offer needs-based tuition assistance, and helps sustain the reserve fund. And it's a night you don't want to miss!

Every year, the Auction & Gala has a new theme. This year's theme is "Rendezvous at Red Bird Lodge," an imagined winter ski chalet whose name is inspired by our school mascot, the Cardinal. Plan to join us at this year’s Auction and Gala as we dine, toast, bid, and spend an evening celebrating all that is wonderful about our school!

Each year the Auction Committee plans a great event, and we have held this event in any number of wonderful venues. This year, we will be enjoying our "Rendezvous at Red Bird Lodge" Gala at VisArts in the Rockville Town Center.

We gather in person for delicious food and beverages at this adult-only event. We bid on amazing silent auction items, treats donated by our teachers, and artwork made by our students; have fun with assorted games; and win prizes. We laugh throughout the Live Auction as we playfully battle it out with other parents and guests, all with the help of a real live auctioneer! We end our evening with dessert and dancing!

Please visit our dedicated gala site where you can RSVP for the event. There are ticket and sponsorship options at varying price points, so choose what is best for you. When you RSVP, you also have the opportunity to purchase a ticket to play in our spirited Heads and Tails game (and maybe win a beautiful piece of fine jewelry), purchase a Best of Live Raffle Ticket (and maybe win your choice of any of the live auction items), and/or contribute toward the tickets we provide our faculty so they can attend our biggest social and fundraising event of the year!

It’s time to get your party on! It’s cocktail attire for the gala, so have fun with it! Your dresses and ties will be perfect as we escape to a winter chalet apres-ski. Feel free to get creative and throw in a faux fur throw, snowflake earrings, or a winter plaid accessory. (Maybe just leave your ski boots at home.)

Yes! It would not be an Auction & Gala without the teachers and staff! Get ready to bid on treats for your child to enjoy with their teacher and get ready for bidding wars with the teachers and staff - they tend to raise their paddles often! When you purchase your gala ticket, you may also choose to contribute toward the tickets for faculty so they can all attend the event of the year!

This is an adult-only event (even parents need a night out sometimes!).

Yes, thanks to the generosity of our local businesses, alumni, our CES current and alumni families, and friends of CES and from Christ Episcopal Church. The school typically raises about $65,000 from the Auction, and more than $20,000 for special projects - like classroom remodels and renovations - during the “Raise the Paddle” portion of the event.

In years past, money raised at the Gala has helped us acquire two school buses, technology upgrades, a full remodel of the Murdock Room (an on-campus event space), and many curriculum enhancements. Last year's Paddle Raise helped us bring science to life with greater resources to support our enhanced STEM and technology curriculums for all students.

The answer to that is a resounding YES! We need volunteers to help with all aspects of the planning including item acquisition, sponsorship, advertising, packaging items together, and decorations. We also need help on Auction & Gala day setting up and cleaning up. If you are interested in helping in any way, please contact our Director of Development, Cyndy Mamalian, at cmamalian@cesrockville.org. We look forward to working with you!

At the Gala, there is a Silent Auction and a Live Auction. The Silent Auction will open on February 21 and continue until right before the Live Auction. These items will be in the catalog and available for viewing online. You will be able to bid on items from your phone or other device.

The Live Auction portion of the evening has a live auctioneer and fast-paced bidding. This is a very fun part of the evening, and bidding wars can be epic! And be sure to stay tuned for the "Best of Live" raffle! Tickets will be limited and sold in advance, with the lucky winner choosing their favorite item in the Live Auction!

We have a great Acquisitions Committee that contacts businesses and potential donors. The success of the auction depends, in part, on the items we can acquire. Parents who are willing to help should talk with Cyndy Mamalian, Director of Development at cmamalian@cesrockville.org regarding details on the acquisition process.

There is something for everyone! There are gift certificates to restaurants all over Maryland and DC, spa services for people who like to be pampered, wine and other spirits, tickets to sporting events and other family outings, great hands-on learning opportunities, and amazing trips. You can even buy your child's teacher a day off, win being in the front row at all school performances, and maybe even have your child be the PE Teacher for a day!

Teacher Treats: These are fun experiences generously donated by CES teachers that teacher and student can do together, such as outings to the theater, a spa day, movie and ice cream, a bird watching excursion -- of all the auction items, these are a perennial favorite!

The auction catalog will be sent home in the students' backpacks the week before the event, and will also be made available online for early bidding. In the catalog, you will find all of the silent and live auction items, the schedule of events for the evening, and great advertisements and messages from our sponsors and parents.

No, you are not required to buy anything at the event. However, all proceeds that are raised at the Auction benefit CES and the students. The auction team makes sure there are items up for auction at all different price points. Please contribute as your heart leads you. At the very least, be sure to come out for a fun night with the Christ Episcopal Community!

With our checkout system, you will be able to find out which items you won and pay for your items easily. Most items will be available for you to take home when you check out and leave that evening. In some cases, you may have to pick up your winnings at school during the week following the Auction & Gala during regular school business hours (8:00am-4:00pm).

"Raise the Paddle" is when, during the Live Auction, the auctioneer asks everyone to raise their auction paddle to donate at various monetary levels to a specific need the school has identified for that gala year. In recent years, our Raise the Paddle efforts have gone to remodeling classrooms, renovating the Murdock Room (an on-campus event space), upgrading classroom technology, and establishing the Teacher Excellence Fund which supports professional development for our talented faculty. Last year, the Paddle Raise was used to bring science to life with greater resources to support our enhanced STEM and technology curriculums for all students.

With everyone's generous contributions, Raise the Paddle typically raises about $20,000. Please include the "Raise the Paddle" opportunity in your budget for the Gala evening!

Yes, it's true. The money raised at the Auction & Gala helps bridge the gap between expenses covered by tuition and the cost of providing each student an exceptional CES education. Without the monies raised at the Gala, tuition for each student would be as much as $3,000 more.

Consider teaming together as a group or as an entire class for larger auction items or experiences! Consider buying your teacher a day off, trip packages or teacher treat outings. The possibilities are endless, especially when parents pool resources and work together!

The school will keep you updated on "all things Gala" in The Cardinal that comes out every Wednesday.