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Student ambassadors took their places in the main hallway before the event, ready to greet attendees.
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Seniors Vince Faris and Zach El Youssef delivered the welcoming address to a crowd of parents, lightening the mood and speaking about their La Salle experience.
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Junior Bennett Okello was one of six students to speak during the event.
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Senior Amelia St. Amand spoke about her experience on the Blackfeet immersion, which took place earlier this school year.
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Senior Audrey Waters gave a speech expressing gratitude for her time at La Salle and how it has equipped her for her future.
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Parents mingled with administrators, ambassadors, and each other during the first part of the event, where they had the opportunity to bid on smaller items and purchase beads for the Heads or Tails game.
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The live auction was hosted by Brad Caldwell of Stokes Auction Group.
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One segment of the live auction was the Dollars for Scholars paddle raise, which is a fundamental source for the over $3 million in need-based tuition assistance offered to over 60% of La Salle students.
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Guests enjoyed food and refreshments at their tables as they bid during the live auction, played the Heads or Tails game, and listened to speeches.
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Attendees had the opportunity to purchase beads from student ambassadors during the first part of the event. In the Heads or Tails game, these beads were used as “lives,” and the last guest standing won a prize.
On Saturday, Oct. 18, La Salle welcomed parents to the annual Believe Benefit and Auction Dinner, a night of games, food, and charity. Run by admissions and staffed in part by student ambassadors, most of the proceeds from Believe go to La Salle’s financial aid pool, which offers assistance to roughly 60% of the student body.
The fundraiser will also help facilitate renovations for the Hamersly Library, La Salle’s next big project following the theater upgrade last summer.
At the beginning of the auction, attendees enjoyed food and drinks, bid on items, and socialized. They also had the option to buy beads from ambassadors for later use in a Heads or Tails game, where the last person standing would win a prize. Juniors Ryan Lengkeek and Gian Manzon provided ambient music by playing the saxophone and the piano, respectively, as the evening progressed.
After attendees had the chance to bid, the live auction kicked off in the gym with an opening prayer led by Father James Antonio, SJ of St. Ignatius Church. Master of Ceremonies Drew Carney of KGW News took the stage next, introducing seniors Zach El Youssef and Vince Faris. In their welcome address, they lightened the mood by cracking jokes and spoke about their time at La Salle.
One important segment of the live auction was the Dollars for Scholars paddle raise, a fundamental part of the Believe fundraiser as a whole. Following the Lasallian values of education and serving the poor, Dollars for Scholars helps make it possible to provide over $3 million in need-based financial aid to over half of students, creating a more accessible La Salle.
The auction also featured student speeches by seniors Jackson Ehlen, Amelia St. Amand, Audrey Waters, and junior Bennett Okello, centered around their gratitude for La Salle, their unique experiences at the school, and how they will use what they’ve learned going forward.
Toward the end of Believe, Francis the Falcon and a few students formed a flash mob to generate excitement for student sports and activities, finishing with a flourish as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer Mr. Matt Winningham revealed himself to be inside the costume.
![Mr. Owen Furlong, the temporary Campus Safety Monitor, grew up near La Salle and described how Christ the King was “basically [his] backyard for a long time.”](https://lasallefalconer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/115A2328-1200x800.jpeg)
