2021 Virtual Scholarship Ball Sets Fundraising Record
Benedictine College’s 2021 Scholarship Ball was shifted to an online setting and saw great success in both viewing and fundraising. The Ball, traditionally held in person in the Kansas City area, was able to garner viewership from across the United States and around the world, bringing in more than $1,150,000 in gifts to fund scholarships. The program video, complete with performances by the Raven Regiment Marching Band, moving stories of featured students, and inspiring messages from Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis and student speaker, senior political science major Miguel Monteclaro, is available to watch on the event website, on Facebook or on You Tube.
Overall, the virtual Scholarship Ball has garnered more than 18,000 views with an estimated audience of more than 25,000. Viewers tuned in from 48 states and 19 foreign countries. The fundraising total set a new record for the ball, brining in about $25,000 more than the 2020 event.
“The virtual Scholarship Ball provided an opportunity for alumni and friends of the college to tune in from anywhere, without having to travel or worry about weather conditions,” said Steve Johnson, Director of Marketing and Communications at Benedictine College. “And I would say they definitely took advantage of that opportunity. Thousands of people who had never been to a Scholarship Ball got to be a part of it this year, and we hope they consider attending in person next year.”
Johnson explained that the college chose to use a new approach, incorporating videos and recorded presentations, rather than attempt to stream a “normal” version of the event from a stage.
“What we ended up with is much more engaging and truly entertaining,” he said. “I think people were impressed, moved, entertained and inspired.”
The next Scholarship Ball is already set for February 26, 2022. It will be the 50th anniversary of the Ball and college administrators hope to gather in person at the Overland Park Convention Center.
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is proud to have been named in the Top 10 in the Midwest of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report, the best private college in Kansas by The Wall Street Journal, and one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by First Things magazine and the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. It has a mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
