ROCK ISLAND — Alleman High School’s annual major fundraiser, the Father Mirabelli Heritage Ball, was supposed to be coming home to the school campus this Saturday, March 28. Instead, the celebration is going far beyond the school’s walls and into hundreds of homes as the first online-only “virtual Heritage Ball.”

And everyone is invited.

Father Daniel Mirabelli, CSV, presides at a blessing of a new mural, “United in Faith,” at Alleman High School in Rock Island on March 10. (Provided photo/Elena Vallejo)

“Our highest priority is the health and safety of our staff, students, and families like you,” wrote members of the Heritage Ball committee in a letter to the school community after it was evident coronavirus restrictions would make attending the event impossible.

While the theme of this year’s ball is “Cherish the Tradition,” the current reality means some new experiences. By switching to a virtual Heritage Ball, anyone can follow it on the school’s Facebook page. Father Daniel Mirabelli, CSV, director of development, will preside at the 6 p.m. drawing of the “Dream Big Raffle” and its $150,000 grand prize. Bids on the live auction will be taken on the Facebook page, and silent auction bidding actually opens on March 26.

“We are fortunate to live in an age where technology can connect us in times like these,” wrote the committee, calling the Heritage Ball “essential to our ability to provide a valuable Catholic education to our students.”

More information on how to sign up to bid, or to purchase raffle tickets, is found on the Facebook page.

Meanwhile, planners of spring fundraising galas at three other Catholic high schools or academies in the diocese — Bloomington Central Catholic (April 18), St. Bede Academy of Peru (April 25) and Ottawa Marquette Academy (May 2) continue to monitor the situation. Watch their websites and social media for further updates.