The Notre Dame Elementary gym was buzzing with activity on Sunday. Upon closer examination, it turned out the buzz was the sound of auctioneers presenting over 300 items that were up for live auction for the 38th Annual God’s Portion Day, one of the school’s most popular fundraising events that raises money for general funds and teachers’ salaries. Supporters of the fundraiser also walked to the unsteady beat of the auctioneer’s hum to peruse another 100 items that were up for silent auction.
Items up for grabs included one-of-a-kind home decor donated by local business owner of Burlington Vintage & Co. and Notre Dame alumna Chelsea Stevens, tickets to a St. Louis Cardinal game donated by Winegard Co., and a 38-year-old can of Campbell’s Split Pea Soup.
That’s right. The live auction has kicked off each year with the same can of soup. In 1980, the soup was purchased at the auction by Elmer Pollpeter for $17. This year, Judge Gary Snyder won the auction at $550, a common range for the soup to go for in recent years.
A fun fact that development director Val Giannettino said she learned this year, her fifth year of organizing the event, is that the split pea soup is hiding under the guise of a french onion soup label. The original label fell off when the soup was placed on a plaque on which each winner’s names are engraved. A proper split pea soup could not be located, so it lives undercover.
Children took over the high school gym to enjoy hair, nail, and face painting makeovers, along with sundaes, art projects, energy-busting activities, and a magic show.
While waiting in line to get his face painted, Trice Nosbisch, 6, a kindergarten student at the school crinkled his face at the ideal of auctioning off a 40-year-old can of soup. Asked how he’d kick off the auction he said he’d give away a day spent with Iron Man.
Nosbisch understood that the money raised was a form of saying thank you to school employees. His eyes lit up.
“Mrs. Taeger is my favorite teacher,” he said. Asked how he would thank his kindergarten teacher for what she does, he responded by saying, “I would paint a butterfly for her.”
Magician Rick Eugene entertains the crowd with his interactive magic show.
Reagan Ingberg, 12, a seventh grade student, found the can of soup intriguing.
“That’s a good idea.” She said, realizing that the iconic soup is passed along as a sort of trophy. She
couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the auction. “I think it’s cool that the money goes to the school, too.”
Along with the money to support the school, Ingberg had an idea in mind for how she’d thank her teachers.
“I’d write a card saying I appreciate that they teach me life lessons and things I need to know later in life,” she said thoughtfully. “And that they take the time to do it.”
God’s Portion Day is about many things: fun, fellowship, food, and funds. Hearing from the mouths of students how thankful they are for what teachers do makes the purpose of the day even more special.
