EPHRATA — The St. Rose of Lima Catholic School auction was well attended Saturday night.

“Before people who bought the day of, we were at 275 (registered attendees),” said Nick Moore, who was selling raffle cards for $100 a pop. “There are 120 families in the school, so that’s more than double the number of parents.”

The theme was “007 Auction Royale,” and many attendees were decked out in their James Bond-iest tuxes and black dresses.

“People love to dress up, any excuse,” said Jennifer Hickok, one of the event’s organizers and a member of the St. Rose PTO. “There’s a suit coat with tails. I haven’t seen one of those since prom.”

Besides several raffles, there was a silent auction and a live auction conducted by Booker Auction.

The evening also included a paddle raise for the Fr. Kerr Scholarship Fund, named for longtime pastor Fr. Seamus Kerr. Now in his 90s and – officially, at least – retired, Kerr was at the auction himself to witness his former parishioners’ generosity.

“He was in Japan yesterday and he was determined to be here, so he flew in,” she said. “He’s amazing.”

The scholarship fund ensures that any family that wants to send their kids to St. Rose can, regardless of financial circumstances, St. Rose of Lima Principal Amy Krautscheid said. The school has a policy of not turning anyone away, she said.

“We want to make sure our doors are open to everybody, but that comes at a cost,” she said. ‘Our per-pupil cost is about $12,000 a student, and we charge just under $7,000. Everything we raise tonight helps keep that tuition low. It helps everybody, not just those who are on scholarship.”

The auction is the school’s main fundraiser, Hickok said, and funds building maintenance, teacher salaries and other ongoing expenses.

Dinner was prime rib catered by Michael’s on the Lake. Donated auction items included a trip to see the Seattle Kraken play, getaway packages to Silver Valley and Flathead Lake, a new mattress and kitchen appliances. In addition, each class at St. Rose of Lima traditionally makes an item for the auction. One was a table with a stone rosary embedded in it; another was a wooden coat rack with Bible verses. The students at St. Rose Prep, the school’s new middle school program, designed a fire pit and had it welded.

The total amount raised at the auction wasn’t available Monday, but the Fr. Kerr Scholarship paddle raise brought in $125,000, according to a social media post from the school.

St. Rose of Lima Catholic School was established in 1959 and has educated children in Ephrata, Moses Lake and Quincy, Catholic or not, ever since. As such, it holds a special place in the hearts of its alumni – and their children and grandchildren, said Matt Moore.

“My kids are third-generation (students) here,” Matt Moore said. “My mom got to go here as a little kid. My grandparents were some of the founders early on. It’s a special place. There are not a lot of small towns that have an institution like this.”

    James Bond-ian glamour was everywhere at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic School dinner and auction Saturday. The theme this year was “007 Auction Royale.”
  

    St. Rose of Lima Catholic School Principal Amy Krautscheid welcomes attendees to the banquet and auction Saturday. The total amount raised wasn’t immediately available, but a paddle raise for the Fr. Kerr Scholarship Fund alone raised $125,000.
  

    St. Rose of Lima Catholic School parent Kelly Price reads a raffle ticket number at the school’s auction Saturday.
  

    Among the items made by St. Rose of Lima students for the auction Saturday was this inlaid rosary table.