ADAMS -- Sacred Heart Catholic School is $30,000 richer and the Rev. Greg Leif can count on picking rock and cleaning a hog house.

Meanwhile, Cindy Schneider rode the throne to fame Saturday night.

The Sacred Heart Catholic School winter banquet and auction wrapped up its seventh straight successful fund-raising effort Saturday night.

"We appreciate the generosity of everyone. Sacred Hearth School will benefit greatly," said Mike Schneider, one of the organizers.

The day's events began with a silent auction in the school gymnasium Saturday afternoon and continued with a banquet dinner catered by the Travel Inn of LeRoy, assorted games and a live auction.

The events were sponsored by the Sacred Heart Men's Club, a group of seven or eight members, but no officers, who believe in Catholic religion education and do whatever is necessary to raise funds to promote it in Adams.

Before the Sacred Heart Men's Club took over the fund-raising chores in 1997, a "Casino Night" was used to benefit Catholic education in Adams for 26 years. All of the proceeds, minus expenses, goes into the school's general fund.

The sponsors sold 210 tickets to the combination banquet and auction Saturday night.

Jim Sathre, Adams, and Dick Schwade, Spring Valley, were the guest auctioneers.

Due to the auctioneers' exhortations and the generous spirit of the audience, the live auction earned an estimated $15,700. Fifty items were donated for the fund-raiser.

A Marble Memories painting donated by Julie Allen Aman/Lou's Forever Framing brought the highest individual price: $1,250.

That came in one of the games held in conjunction with the charity auction. Three decks of cards were sold for $10 a card. Although not all of the cards were sold, the $1,250 helped the Sacred Heart school. Linda Boe held the lucky card and chose the Marble Memories painting before the auction began.

A Brett Favre-autographed Green Bay Packers football helmet earned $750, a jar of pickled eggs earned $85.

Helen Noterman donated a homemade quilt for the auction.

Harry Kramer donated a year's tuition to Sacred Heart school.

Leif and his mother, Alice Leif, donated a dinner for six people.

The Catholic priest also donated a half-day of hired help, which Men's Club volunteer Mike Schneider pointed out amounted to "at least eight hours, considering farmers work 16 hours or more a day."

The priest out-bid parishioners and others to purchase 100 gallons of gas donated by Corky's Corner.

Bill and Linda Boe, Cleo Osmundson and Tom Mullenbach donated a sirloin steak fry for eight people.

Tom Mullenbach donated an original oil painting by his mother, Christina Mullenbach, who passed away recently.

Harlan Boe donated an original poem he wrote about a local personality.

A book from the former Johnsburg School Library and its library card dating 1929 to 1957 was purchased by Gerald and Margie Meier. Julie (Goergen) Schwade, wife of auctioneer Dick Schwade, donated the book.

Earlier Saturday, the silent auction earned $6,300 for the school.

The night concluded with a unique toilet bowl race. Four teams of three members each entered the derby across the gymnasium floor.

The Cindy Schneider, John Smith and Craig Allen team took top prize over the Fred Harvey, John Kloeckner and Ryan Smith and Billy Boe teams.

So popular are the annual pre-St. Valentine's Day events at Sacred Heart, all the guests stayed until the very end of the evening's fun.

Leif expressed the parish's appreciation to all who supported the fund-raiser.

This year, Sacred Heart Catholic School is celebrating its centennial.

Special events will commemorate a century of religion education at Sacred Heart, culmination with a weekend of celebration Aug. 15, 16 and 17.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com