The Bear Facts
April 9, 2011



Good morning! I’m Aimee Dahlhauser!

I’m Kristin Berte!

And I’m Rebecca Molsberry! Thanks for joining us for the “Bear Facts”, where it’s Gala 2011 here at Bishop Garrigan High School.

Gala is by far the largest fundraiser for the Bishop Garrigan Schools. Last year we set a new record at Gala, with more than a quarter million dollars in income, and the total has been well over $200,000 for most of the past decade. Part of that money goes to special projects like updating our school’s technology. Part goes to the general operations, and part goes into an endowment fund to keep the school running well into the future.

2011 marks the twenty-second year for Gala, This year has an undersea theme, “Deep Blue Gala”, and both students and adult volunteers have been busy all week transforming the gym into a spectacular ballroom. The doors will open at 5:30 tonight, with hors d’oeuvres and a chance to bid on silent auction items. The dinner and live auction start at 7:30, and the fun will continue until after 10pm.




For many guests, dinner is the centerpiece of Gala. Again this year the event features an elegant meal catered by a top Twin Cities chef. The hors d’oeuvres include crostini with roast beef and rosemary mayonnaise; smoked salmon puffs; and parmesan shortbread with roasted tomato, feta cheese, and kalamata olives. Once seated guests will enjoy cream of mushroom soup a l’ambiance and then tossed greens with grapes, apples, and bleu cheese with celery seed vinaigrette.

The main course features smoked spiced tenderloin of beef with tomato basil pesto sauce. On the side will be red jacket mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. White and wheat dinner rolls with butter will accompany the dinner. If they have any room left, guests will enjoy raspberry ribbon cheesecake with fresh raspberries and chocolate sauce, and flavored coffee will accompany the dessert.

It takes an army of workers to make Gala run smoothly. Fifty different Garrigan students will be working as waiters and waitresses tonight, and nearly a dozen others will serve as parking valets, greeters, announcers, and technical assistants. There are also dozens of alumni, parents, and other adult volunteers who work both in public and behind the scenes. Thanks to everyone who helps make Gala a great success.

For many of the Gala workers, today will be an extremely busy day. That’s because before the evening event, nearly half of Garrigan’s students will be busy competing at the state solo and small ensemble music contest. Garrigan is hosting that contest today for area schools in the Seton Grade School building. Both band and choir members are competing, and we wish all of them good luck.


Golf season is here, and the state champion Golden Bear boys are hoping for a repeat of last year’s success. Seniors Tyler Lallier and Andrew Schiltz will be golfing for the Bears this spring. The core of the team is juniors—including Brandon Schiltz, Eli Marlow, Billy Schiltz, Joe Farrell, John Richter, and Austin Salz. Rounding out the team are sophomores Victor Berte and Bobby Plathe and freshmen Michael Berke and Conner Garman.

The girls also have a long tradition of success, and they plan to continue that in 2011. Leading the girls team are seniors Kelsie Berke, Miranda Gisch, and Laura Richter. Junior Sheridan Berte; sophomores Noelle Vitzthum, Rebecca Richter, Haley Froehlich, and Makayla Foertsch; and freshmen Alexa Capesius and Mallory Schiltz round out the team. Good luck to both the girls and boys as they hit the links this spring!

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Becca Hyslop and Brie Blocker. Here to tell you about them is Alex Hamilton.

Becca Hyslop is a Rodman native who went to grade school at Emmetsburg Catholic. Her biggest activities are Christian Leadership in Action and choir, where she was a chorus member in last fall’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Becca plans to continue her education after high school, and we wish her all the best in the future.

Brie Blocker has grown up in both Bancroft and Algona. Her biggest activity is probably speech, where she’s been part of award-winning mime groups all through high school. Brie has helped design decorations for Gala, and she challenges herself with college courses like Psychology and Statistics. Brie will be a college girl next fall, and we wish her good luck!

Thanks Alex! On our Golden Bear calendar, there’s state solo and small ensemble music contest today. Garrigan will be hosting the contest at Seton Grade School. There’s also ACT testing this morning, and tonight it’s time for Deep Blue Gala!

Tomorrow is the fifth Sunday of Lent, and all next week the juniors and their assistants will be decorating for this year’s prom. Tuesday the boys track team runs at Iowa Falls, and there’s girls track at Algona High.

The golf teams have triangulars on Tuesday. The boys hosts Clear Lake and Humboldt, while the girls team plays at Humboldt. There’s mass on Wednesday, and then on Thursday the boys track team runs at Lake Mills.

Next Friday the golf teams take on Algona. The boys run at Estherville, while the girls host the Bishop Garrigan Relays at Algona High. Then next Saturday it’s Prom 2011.

Finally this week, we learned that Mrs. Jeanne Farrell had been hired to be the new religion teacher at Garrigan next year. She will mostly be taking the place of Deacon Bob Larsen, who died suddenly last fall. Mrs. Farrell is certainly not a new face at our school. She substitutes frequently, and her son Joe is an active part of the junior class. We’re pleased to welcome Mrs. Farrell to the staff.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for Gala week. Thanks for listening, and be sure to tune in next week, when we’ll tell you all about prom here at Bishop Garrigan High School.
 

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JR4-7-11