Sewickley Academy to host first-ever online fundraiser

Sewickley Academy will host its first-ever virtual fundraiser next month.

The event, in its 34^th year, will include an auction of more than 80 items with bidding that starts April 5 and closes April 10. The online event will start at 5:45 p.m. on April 10.

Kaitlin Busch, a spokeswoman for the school, said leadership decided in January to move the private school’s largest annual fundraiser totally online in order to curb the spread of covid-19.

“It was important to us to have this event, to make it happen. We knew we didn’t want to cancel,” Busch said.

Those who register for the free event will be able to view pre-recorded videos, including demonstrations on how to make homemade meatballs and a signature cocktail, student performances and information on projects the school would like to fund.

To-go menu options prepared by Allegheny Country Club are available and can be purchased online by April 1.

The fundraiser, themed “The Sky’s the Limit,” typically brings in anywhere from $250,000 to $300,000, Busch said.

This year, however, the school has set a goal of raising $150,000 to be able to use for a handful of projects such as revamping a garden space and a common space for middle school students. Busch said some of the money will also go toward professional development of its teachers and staff and Breakthrough Pittsburgh, an organization housed at Sewickley Academy that is dedicated to equipping underserved students to succeed in college and train teachers.

The pandemic has forced the school to cancel alumni events, and those that traditionally involve parents and family members have moved to a remote format, Busch said.

The school of 587 students and 145 employees has been operating on an in-person learning model with the option for remote learning since the beginning of the year, according to Busch. The pandemic has led to school-wide shifts to virtual learning around the holidays, from Dec. 7 through Jan. 11, she said.

“We made this shift mindfully, knowing covid-19 cases were on the rise in the region and that our ability to deliver our program depended on our having a healthy faculty and staff,” Busch said, adding the school decided to duplicate that effort for a week following spring break, which is March 15-28. Students will learn virtually from March 29-April 2.

In-person learning will resume April 6 and Busch said she expects the school to remain under that model through the end of the school year.

In terms of covid cases at the school, Busch said there have been 13.

“We’ve had a very successful year,” she said. “None of the cases were spread at the school or were contracted at school. They all came from an outside source.”

Sewickley Academy’s head of school, Kolia O’Connor, touted the school’s success in handling the pandemic and said he hopes the community of parents and friends will continue to show their support through the virtual format.

“One of the advantages to this format, of course, is that we have the opportunity to connect with friends and supporters of the school from around the world, who will have a chance to support our school and students through this wonderful fundraising event,” he said. “This year has been challenging, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of our community.”

For more information about the fundraiser, visit sewickley.org.