URBANA — Thanks to the generosity of one of Uni High's most enthusiastic graduates, the school raised almost $24,000 this fall to support faculty development activities.

Ellie Stoddard's senior photo in the 1950 Uni High yearbook. Gargoyle photos by (click to enlarge)

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A view from above of the silent auction, which took place Oct. 16 in the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. Uni Web site photo by Adam Joseph (click to enlarge)

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Fine arts teacher Barbara Ridenour addresses the gathering. Proceeds from ticket sales went to benefit the Uni fine arts program. Uni Web site photo by Adam Joseph (click to enlarge)

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On Oct. 16, Uni held its first-ever art auction. The event took place at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on campus.

The auction was made possible by the generosity of 1950 alumna Ellie Stoddard Seibold.

Upon her death on May 2, 2002, Ellie donated 23 pieces of her private art collection to Uni High with the understanding that it would be auctioned off to benefit the faculty fund that she had created.

More than seven years later, Ellie's gift to the school caused people to converged to celebrate the arts and her life.

The auction raised a total of $23,980 for the Ellie Stoddard Faculty Support Endowment Fund. Faculty can apply for this money to take trips, attend conferences, or pursue any other activities that will allow them to enhance their teaching abilities.

"There were approximately 71 people in attendance," said Karen Cooley, Uni's director of advancement.

"That includes Fred Seibold, who was Ellie Stoddard Seibold's husband. He was very pleased with the auction. He was going to match the amount of funding brought in by the art, and instead of just matching it he actually doubled the amount."

Ellie established the Stoddard Fund in 2001 with a gift of $100,000.

Ticket sales for the auction generated $3,825. Some of the proceeds went toward supplying the food and covering the costs of the event. However, $2,600 of the ticket-sale money will directly benefit the Uni fine arts program.

"We had art in the middle and some hung on the sides," Cooley said. "It was actually a silent auction, so people could go through and look at the art. They could bid on it, and then other people could come around and outbid them, or try to get the art pieces they wanted."

Fine arts executive teacher Rick Murphy provided piano entertainment, while guests mingled. Speeches in Ellie's honor were then given by Cooley, Seibold, Uni Director Jeff Walkington, and other featured speakers.

The evening's program concluded with a performance by Yvette Cataneo, a 1992 Uni graduate and professional singer who now performs in the New York area.

"We had a lot of faculty representation at the event," Cooley said. "I think that is a bonus, because it shows the support of the school from the school.

"That to me was great. I think it really added to the event. Parents and alums were able to see the faculty in a different venue and get to talk to them in a more personal way, which I think is a benefit."

Walkington, in his first year as the school's director, praised the auction.

"It was a wonderful event," he said. "It was a lot of fun. There were a lot of teachers there. There were a lot of parents there, and even some students. We got to honor someone who had been an alumna of the school and who donated some very nice things to the school. It was just a fun time — we had music, we had art, we mingled. It was great."

More photos: Uni High Art Auction Celebrates the Arts

Fine arts executive teacher Rick Murphy accompanies musical guest Yvette Cataneo, 1992 Uni alumna. Uni Web site photo by Adam Joseph (click to enlarge)

Uni The Alice Campbell Alumni Center provided a comfortable and first-class setting for the evening. Web site photo by Adam Joseph (click to enlarge)

Uni parent Pat Fernandez, one of the organizers of the event, addresses the crowd. Uni Web site photo by Adam Joseph (click to enlarge)

Biology teacher David Stone (left) mingles with Assistant Director Sue Kovacs and her husband, Tom Kovacs. Uni Web site photo by Adam Joseph (click to enlarge)

Greg Goldman and Barbara Ridenour sample of the tasty selections. Uni Web site photo by Adam Joseph (click to enlarge)

In this Gargoyle photo from November 2001, then-Director John Hedeman celebrates with Ellie Stoddard Seibold after she donated $100,000 to the school to establish the Ellie Stoddard Faculty Support Endowment Fund. Gargoyle archive photo (click to enlarge)