PIERRE — Don’t look for any black ties at the St. Joseph School fundraiser Dec. 11.

Pinstripes and eyeblack will be more common attire at the sports-themed Extravaganza fundraiser at the Ramkota.

“It’s very casual,” said Paul Cremer, chairman of the organizing committee. “Every year, we have a sports theme. We encourage people to wear their team jerseys and support their teams.”

David Montgomery | Capital Journal Paul Cremer, chairman of the St. Joseph School Extravaganza fundraiser committee, stands with St. Joseph School students Joe Cremer (from left), 7, Stephanie Nelson, 11, Maddie Reinke, 10, and Sophia New, 7. The Dec. 11 fundraiser will help keep the private school running. Advertisement

Seventy percent of the $35 event tickets will go to St. Joe’s, Cremer said, with the rest paying for dinner. The fundraiser also will include raffles and silent and live auctions of donated items.

“It’s just a way for the community to support kids at the school — not just the parish, but the community at large,” said Kim Malsam-Rysdon, a member of the organizing committee. “We’ve got a lot of really neat donated items that people are giving in really hard economic times.”

Some of the items up for auction include guided hunting and fishing expeditions, big-screen TVs and plane rides.

The Extravaganza starts at 6 p.m. at the Ramkota, and will run until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., Cremer said.

Organizers said the event is pitched to adults as a way to relax and have fun while helping the school.

“We’re hoping that it’ll be seen as a fun and relaxing night,” Malsam-Rysdon said. “With the hustle and bustle of the holidays it’s sometimes nice to have a break. We hope people will just come and have fun.”

Funds go to the private school’s general fund, where they will fund a variety of programs.

“The Extravaganza raises significant funds for the school,” Cremer said. “In the current economic situation, the school — just like every other entity — needs as much operating funds as it can get. The fundraiser is important to help keep the school operating.”

Cremer said he plans to show up in the uniform of his favorite baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

“We’ll see if any folks show up in Yankees jerseys,” Cremer said jokingly, referring to the Yankees’ recent victory over the Phillies in the World Series. “There might be a scuffle.”

But Malsam-Rysdon said even non-sports fans can have a good time.

“I am not a sports person at all,” she said. “Even with the sports theme, we’re really welcoming of everyone in the community.”

Tickets can be purchased by calling Dusty or Jenn Oedekoven at 605-224-1616 or calling the school at 605-224-7185. Cremer said people looking for tickets should call by Dec. 10 so organizers can give an attendance estimate to the Ramkota.