Threshold - Winter 2004

8th Annual Night of Dreams Surpasses Dream

Everyone dreams of being a winner. For the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, the Night of Dreams annual benefit dinner and auction highlights many of those dreams. The fundraiser is held to support the ministries of the sisters, which fulfill the dreams of many people they serve.

The proceeds support the work of the Happy Hearts Adult Learning Center, which graduated a record 55 G.E.D. recipients this year, the Family Literacy Program, the All Faiths Counseling Center and the Atchison Women’s Wisdom Center and Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

The impact extends around the world through funds for the education of Tanzanian sisters and support of the Mount’s mission in Brazil. A better life for their people is the dream being realized by two Tanzanian Benedictine sisters who are studying at Benedictine College. They expressed their special gratitude with a song and table blessing in Swahili for the gathering.

Sister Anne Shepard, Director of Development, also spoke of larger dreams, especially the recent awarding of a Nobel Peace Prize to Mount St. Scholastica College graduate Wangari Maathai, and the publicity given to the success of Mount Academy graduate Mary Carol Garrity and her Nell Hill’s enterprise.

More than 500 people attended the dinner at the KCI Expo Center, at which they could visit with the sisters and bid on silent auction items. A spirited oral auction let many of them win items of their dreams, from a Baja vacation to furniture and crafts made by the sisters.

There was also a special appeal for, as the auctioneers called it, “one from the heart” for the renovation of Dooley Center. The long-term care facility housing many of the monastic elders is in need of significant repairs and expansion. Many attending the event responded with additional donations for the care of these women who have given so much with their lives of dedication to the needs of others. The income from this year’s event doubled that of last year.

Then there is always the “big winner” at such events, the one who gets the raffle prize. The “Mega-Raffle” gave one lucky person the chance to take home a new Honda Acura, a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle, or $15,000 in cash.

Sister Mary reaches into the hat and the winner is . . .


Mr. Dick Bruggen of Atchison, long-time friend of the sisters.

But in this case, there was an even bigger winner.

Mr. Bruggen, after recovering from the initial shock and consulting his wife Jody, quietly summoned the auctioneer. To a quickly silenced gathering, just as everyone was getting up to leave, it was announced that the winner had decided to turn down the prize and give the $15,000 back to the sisters. “I know probably more than most how tough it is for the sisters,” says Bruggen modestly. “It just didn’t seem right for me to take away from their hard work. I just thought it the natural thing to do.” The Benedictine sisters can now help even more people become the winners they dream of being in their lives.

Photos and more photos of the Night of Dreams