Parents' Club Adapts and Looks to Create a “Uniquely Regis” 2021 Auction

Parents' Club President Kim Many P'22 addresses Regis parents at one of their bi-weekly virtual meetings. 

If you participated in last year’s Regis Parents’ Club Auction, you know that while the date of the event did not change, the venue certainly did. Undaunted by the shift in circumstances brought on by the spread of COVID-19, the auction committee pivoted to a virtual-only event. Even during an unprecedented pandemic, alumni, families, faculty, and friends of Regis ensured that the auction was a success. The Parents’ Club, along with the Regis administration, is grateful to everyone for their support.

2020 was a year of the unexpected, and the Parents’ Club continued to adapt, finding ways to build friendships and a sense of school community while unable to gather in person at Regis. Wednesday mornings now feature both Zoom informational meetings with guest speakers, and safely-distanced, outdoor gatherings of small groups sporting masks in Central Park. New traditions are emerging - a recent Wednesday meeting started with the 8.30 AM Mass at Saint Ignatius Loyola Church before the group walked over to the park. Although Parents’ Club members are disappointed that they can’t gather together at Regis, the Zoom meetings have allowed many parents to attend who would not otherwise have been able to join.

In addition to formal Parents’ Club events, small, informal gatherings are happening all over the tri-state area. These events act as opportunities for the Regis community to meet one another and build friendships. Parents are connecting through Facebook (@RegisParentsClub) while organizing small, socially-distant gatherings for the boys.

The first Parents’ Club event of the academic year — the Family Liturgy (formerly known as the Communion Breakfast and Liturgy) — was held via Zoom in September and was a great success. The Mass was co-celebrated by Regis President Fr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ, and History Teacher Fr. Arthur C. Bender, SJ, '67 after which Mr. Edwin Ortiz and Mr. Marselys Lucero spoke about all that Campus Ministry has to offer. The Parents’ Club will continue to find ways to creatively celebrate as a group while unable to come together at Regis.

During this unusual school year, a sense of love for the Regis community is bringing the Parents’ Club auction team together with the goal of keeping the annual auction alive. In addition to building community, the Regis Auction serves as the largest Parents’ Club fundraiser of the year. The mobile bidding platform, combined with the virtual features learned last year, will allow the club to not only continue this tradition but to extend the celebration to a record number of Regis families — near and far.

As club leaders reimagine an auction format that can successfully (and safely) take place months from now, the reality of the pandemic’s economic hardships, especially here in New York City, may prevent previous donors and bidders from supporting this event as they have in the past. For this reason, the Parents’ Club is inviting anyone in the Regis family who might be willing to share their time, talents, and resources to help. This extended generosity is what will make the 2021 auction possible.

As with any auction, items for bid or purchase are essential to the evening. Regis-themed or one-of-a-kind experience items are always the most popular and usually only require a donor’s time.

• Can you participate in a Zoom-conversation or mentoring lunch with current Regian(s) interested in your professional field?
• Can you donate a short stay in a vacation home, business gift certificate, or venue tickets?
• Can you source a Regis-themed item crafted by you or someone else?
• Any celebrity connections (we even take Xavier grads)?
• Do you have ideas for innovative, unique experiences to offer as an auction item?
• Can you offer tickets to sporting events, concerts, etc.?

• Can you help develop and produce recorded content for this year’s event?
• Can you share best practices from a recent auction you planned or attended?
• Are you interested in contributing to a recorded segment sharing meaningful, heartwarming, or humorous tales about the impact Regis has had on your adult life?

Each virtual meeting of the Parents' Club begins with a quote to think and reflect on throughout the week.

Some Regis parents spent the morning together for a socially-distant meeting in Central Park.