Trinity's yearly benefit is definitely the most exciting night of the year! It’s a great night to dress up, enjoy the company of Trinity parents and teachers and to support the school.
Similar to most private schools, tuition only covers part of Trinity’s budget. Did you know that on average, the gap between the cost of TCNS and what tuition covers is about $500 per child? Things we have come to know and love such as music and science enrichments, yoga instruction, community aid and teaching assistants would not be possible each year without additional fundraising and the Benefit is the MAIN source of making up this gap.
Here are some exciting ways to donate you’ll see at the Benefit: the Sign-Up Parties tables, the Silent Auction tables, the Donate-It-Now tables and the Live Auction during dinner. A little about each:
Sign-Up Parties – A handful of Trinity families have opened their homes and planned themed parties during the next five months. Each couple (or person, depending) pays a cost to attend the party and the money raised goes directly to Trinity. You’ll start hearing about what parties have been planned and by whom, so you can have an idea of which ones you’d like to sign up for. There is only a limited amount of spots available per party so this table is usually the first stop for many at the Benefit. I encourage you to add your name at the bottom to create a waitlist, if all the spots are full!
Silent Auction - These are items you can bid on, some are grouped together for an ‘experience’. We’ve tried to solicit items locally, so it’s a really great chance to become more familiar with and support Wilmette businesses. It’s a straightforward silent auction, where at the end of the night the bidding will end and the person who bids last (and the most) will win! And TCNS wins too from all the winning bids!
Donate-It-Now – These tables list specific items Trinity needs. It’s not an auction- you sign up to donate the cost of a new toy or game (i.e., last year our family donated the money for a new The Sneaky Squirrel game). Sometimes it’s a bigger project that the school needs (like new bathroom sinks in the upstairs classroom, etc.) that a group of families could contribute to. These capital improvements will be listed in advance so you know if it’s a cause you’d consider. Trinity really is appreciative of the Donate-It-Now sheets because the donation goes directly to purchasing those items!
Live Auction – During or just after dinner, we will listen to the wildly entertaining descriptions of the ‘big ticket’ auction items from our auctioneer. The selection is filled with trips, experiences and one-of-a-kind items you won’t find by yourselves!
Hopefully you have been enlightened on what to expect at the Benefit and why it’s so important to our school. All donations can be considered tax deductible! A little something for everyone…. Hope to see you there!
6:30 p.m.
Check-In Opens
Silent Auction Begins
Passed Hors d’oeuvres
Beer & Wine
Cash Bar for Cocktails
7:45 p.m.
Dinner Begins
Welcome from
TCNS Director Sue Gaertner
Slide Show
Welcome from
TCNS Parent Advisory Board Chair
Rebecca Johnson
Live Auction
11 p.m.
Silent Auction Closes
11:30 p.m.
Benefit Ends
