Food, a silent auction and the mystery of who would win or share $10,000 brought about 400 people to the Vicksburg Convention Center Sunday night for Vicksburg Catholic Schools’ annual drawdown and silent auction.
The 31st version of the school system’s biggest fundraiser generated an estimated $55,000 for system’s general operating budget.
“We won’t know the exact figure until we’ve had time to reconcile all the figures,” said Ann Roberson, the school system’s development director. “That will take a few days.”
The first drawdown was held in 1983.
“Our first one was for St. Francis, when it was on Crawford Street,” volunteer Lisa McMinn said. “We held it at the school.”
Other drawdown venues included the St. Aloysius High School gym and the Vicksburg Auditorium before the event landed at the convention center.
The early drawdowns generated 250 ticket sales, Roberson said, adding 500 tickets had been sold the previous three years. By 5:30 p.m. Sunday, 504 had been sold, and more sales were anticipated before the 6:30 p.m. cutoff.
She said the owner of the first ticket drawn during the program gets their $125 ticket price refunded. After that, money is awarded with every 100th ticket drawn, with awards starting at $100.
“When we get to the last 10 tickets, the owners of those tickets can split the $10,000, if they all agree,” she said, adding if one person refuses, the drawing continues.
This year, the top prize was split between Joe Lauderdale and Billy and Pauline Sheffield.
Besides the monetary awards, people had a chance to win a trip for four to Walt Disney World, and those attending the drawing could participate in a silent auction for other items.
Among the list of items were signed football helmets by the Ole Miss football team, former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning and University of Southern Mississippi and soon-to-be NFL Hall of Fame punter Ray Guy, and jerseys signed by former two-sport legend Bo Jackson and former Ole Miss player Dexter McCluster.
Other items included watches, trips, art work, signed movie posters, arts and crafts, paintings and jewelry.
“The silent auction makes up about 10 percent of our revenue from the drawdown,” Roberson said.
Cathi Verhine, who co-chairs the silent auction with her husband, Scott, said the auction has been a part of the drawdown since 2001.
“Pretty much everything is donated by local businesses,” she said.
“We’ll start getting ready for the next year’s as soon as this is over,” her husband said. “We’ll begin contacting businesses and we have a list of other contacts that we use. We have a lot of alumni who help us.”
“The alumni have been very supportive,” Cathi Verhine said.