Bids for Kids

Each spring, our school proudly presents Bids for Kids (B4K)—our largest fundraising event of the year—with every dollar raised directly benefiting our students, teachers, and staff. This beloved tradition is fully coordinated by a passionate team of parent volunteers dedicated to its success.

Our team of volunteers will transform the St. Michael Catholic Church’s gymnasium into a beautifully decorated ballroom. Guests will enjoy a lively evening of friendly competition through our silent and live auctions each bid directly supports our students, which is how the event earned the name “Bids for Kids” many years ago! Beyond the excitement of bidding, attendees can look forward to an unforgettable night featuring an open bar, a delicious dinner, raffle opportunities, fun games, an inspiring program, and dancing to live music.

The money raised helps provide our children with a wonderful Catholic education by supporting investments in classroom enhancements, extracurricular activities, and ensuring we can retain our amazing faculty and staff. We are grateful for the support in that makes this event a success and for helping us continue to provide an exceptional education to our students.

Our theme this year is “A Legacy in Full Bloom” which celebrates our school’s 150th year of providing exceptional Catholic education.  

We welcome all St. Michael Catholic School current and past school families, parishioners, local businesses, sponsors, and community members for an unforgettable evening of fellowship, delicious food, entertainment, and lively bidding - all in celebration and support of the transformative gift of Catholic education.

Please note that the auction is an adult-only event, providing the perfect opportunity to meet new people and enjoy a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere. Come for the fun, stay for the cause, and help make a difference for our students and school community!

Tickets are available for purchase beginning in February. Your ticket includes access to mobile bidding for both the live and silent auctions, as well as happy hour, dinner, and dessert. 

Purchase Tickets

Join us for a fun and vibrant celebration!
We invite guests to dress in a way that complements our theme: Garden Party - think elevated, colorful, and festive. Dresses, jumpsuits, dress shirts, blazers, florals, and fresh spring tones are all perfect choices. No strict rules - just wear what makes you feel comfortable and like your best “blooming” self!

Yes and no! Upon check-in, you will receive a place card. Feel free to set your place card at an unreserved table of your choice. Please note, there will be some reserved tables for our sponsors and those who purchased a whole table.

We’ve partnered with ClickBid, an online mobile bidding platform that makes it easy to bid from your own device - whether you’re at home or at the event. All silent auction bidding will take place through ClickBid. You’ll receive a personalized link to access the bidding site prior to the event. Please ensure your device is fully charged ​if attending the event.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, each year our silent auction features hundreds of one-of-a-kind items! From classroom-themed baskets, creative class projects, and teacher coupon books to unforgettable experiences like Principal for a Day, front-row seats at school events, home essentials, vacation getaways, and so much more—there’s truly something for everyone.

Don’t miss your chance to bid on these amazing offerings!

When you arrive for the event, your credit card information will be confirmed.  We accept VISA, MASTERCARD, DISCOVER, AND AMERICAN EXPRESS. Following the event, a receipt will be emailed to you confirming your purchases.

Bids for Kids (B4K) is our school’s largest annual fundraiser, made possible by the heartfelt generosity of our families, alumni, parishioners, and friends who believe in our great mission. This year’s gala offers a variety of exciting and meaningful opportunities to support our school - explore the key areas outlined below. While participation is optional, we invite every family to contribute in whatever ways feel most meaningful to them.

Volunteer
B4K is fully volunteer-run, and we are still looking for volunteers! Visit our volunteer page to view our current needs. 

Give to Your Classroom Basket(s)
Each StMCS classroom will showcase a themed basket for our B4K Silent Auction. We invite every family to be involved and contribute to their child(ren)’s classroom basket. 

Purchase Tickets & Attend the Event!
Experience the event firsthand and enjoy a fun, adult‑only evening with StMC families, staff, alumni, friends, and community supporters. Ticket includes: mobile bidding for the live and silent auctions, fun games, open bar, dinner and dessert, a program and live music! Tickets available online until sold out.

Support Our Tuition Raffle
Win big! Buy or sell raffle tickets for an opportunity to have your tuition covered. Catholic school families will receive raffle tickets at the start of April and are asked to sell $100 of tickets to support this effort. 

Bid from Home
Can’t attend the event? You can still join the fun! Register your device online in April to access the silent auction and place bids right from home.

Promote Online Bidding & Giving
Invite grandparents, godparents, family, and friends to join in. The more people who participate, the more support we raise for our school - spread the word and help us “bid for the kids”!



StMCS families are invited to view our flyer to see the many ways they can support Bids for Kids 2026.

On Saturday, April 25, each StMCS classroom will showcase a themed basket for our Bids for Kids Silent Auction available to both our in‑person gala guests and online bidders at home. Our goal is to create high-quality baskets that inspire our approximately 400 bidders to bid generously helping us raise even more financial support for StMCS.

Learn more

There’s only one thing better than attending our wonderful Catholic school and that is attending it for FREE! One of our favorite B4K traditions is the annual tuition raffle. Each StMCS family is encouraged to sell ten raffle tickets at $10 each ($100 total). Every dollar raised goes directly back to support our school!

Learn More

Absolutely! Since preschool families are part of St. Michael Catholic School, the funds raised through this event directly support our preschool programs.

Click here to learn more about the many ways preschool families can get involved and support this special event!

Another B4K raffle we coordinated in past years was called “Kids with Bids” or “B4K Basket Extravaganza”, where students could buy raffle tickets or donate money to try to win various theme baskets. Unfortunately, due to Minnesota gambling laws, we are unable to continue coordinating these types of raffles that involve minors.

We are taking a pause this year and will not be selling the $100 golden raffle tickets for the live auction, as it wasn't as profitable as we hoped the last couple of years. In addition, we will not be pre-selling tickets/chances for heads and tails, 50-50 (split the pot), and other games. This year, we will only be selling tickets for these types of games and raffles during the B4K Gala. The reason why we will not be offering pre-sales is because of your good feedback from last year. We want to prevent confusion and avoid tickets from getting lost or unused.