Fraser High School to host annual Activities Auction

FRASER — Fraser High School is inviting the public to join them for the school’s annual Activities Auction to raise money for student activities and events.

Stephanie Zary, a Fraser High School teacher and one of the class sponsors for the current senior class, said the money raised from the auction helps in a variety of ways.

“We’ve been doing this for about 15 years. This sponsors all of our student-council-run activities throughout the year,” said Zary. “The homecoming events are one of the major things funded. This includes the game, pep assembly, parade, a tailgate and dance are sponsored. The students’ senior prom is the other. This covers decorations, desserts and so forth so we can keep the ticket prices down.”

The Activities Auction is from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2, at the Vintage House, 31816 Utica Road. Tickets are $40 and they can be purchased by emailing megan.schaeff@fraserk12.org.

“Tickets include the buffet and bar — it is an age-21-and-up event — and we recently started doing themes for each auction,” said Megan Schaeff, the student council advisor. “This year, it is the 1950s. We will have a costume contest for a prize for best 1950s-themed costume. We have raffle baskets. Two baskets are put together by each grade and the baskets are raffled off at the event.”

Funds are brought in via both silent and live auctions.

“We have a silent auction where you try to outbid the other bidders,” said Schaeff. “This (includes) things like tickets for prom, free registration for athletic camps, dance studios in the area donate services. Other businesses often donate. We auction off seats at Fraser graduation night, priority parking spots, yearbooks and so forth.

“We have a live auction for big ticket items such as University of Michigan football tickets provided by our superintendent since she is an alum there,” Schaeff continued. “We work with DC Sports at Lakeside Mall, and they donate some sports paraphernalia. They have a signed Matthew Stafford jersey this year, for instance. We have a golf basket from Sycamore Hills Golf Course. There’s a trip to Traverse City with an Airbnb and a wine tasting at Chateau Chantal.”

Senior Kaleigh Nordstrom is the current Fraser High School Student Council president and said how thankful she is that their community supports their high school experience.

“It helps raise money for events that we at the council organize,” said Nordstrom. “It goes into each class’s bank account. Senior prom, homecoming, senior sunrise and so forth wouldn’t be possible without it. It really gives back to the students.”

Students cannot attend the event because it is only for those age 21 and older, but students do help promote and plan for the auction.

“We work on student council to sell the tickets and put together baskets which are bid on at the event,” said Nordstrom. “It helps us, so we like being able to help encourage people to attend.”

Zary said that making the activities available that the auction helps pay for is important because it helps engage students and connects them with their educational experience.

“We have wonderful students and staff who want to do good things out in their community,” said Zary. “I think that supporting fundraising students activities is really important because those are the things that keep students engaged in the school process. I hope, as an English teacher, that they are engaged by the material itself, but realistically, we know that these social aspects are one of the big things that give students motivation to get involved and stay involved.”

“Students need these experiences,” said Nordstrom. “If you’re going to school every day, you want to make it enjoyable. As student body president, you need students to want to be there and for them to be able to look back on their high school experience with fondness and remember it as fun.”

Zary hopes the public will turn out this year in order to both support local students and have a fun evening.

“The auction is a really great fundraiser event because it kind of has a dual purpose,” she said. “One, it’s a fundraiser for student activities, but the second part is that it’s a great community event. Instead of just selling cookie dough or having a walk-a-thon, everyone mixes and mingles together for the kids. It has a great atmosphere that is for the kids.”

“All the proceeds from the auction help fund activities for our student body and it’s a fun night for anybody,” added Schaeff. “There’s nice food, good drinks and some great things up for auction.”