Bruin Benefit Raises Record-Breaking $469,533

Padua welcomed 400 guests to the 33rd annual Bruin Benefit Celebrazione on Saturday, April 26. While enjoying a cocktail hour, guests perused the various silent and live auction items and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, as well as entertainment by the school’s Jazz Ensemble. After the welcome and prayer, it was time for the event to truly get underway.    

During the Hall of Fame portion of the evening, David Zavagno ’72 and Michael Biehl ’74 were each inducted as an Outstanding Alumnus, while Laurie Keco Grabowski ’89 was inducted as an Outstanding Alumna, for their amazing accomplishments and unending loyalty to the school. 

During acceptance speeches, each in turn expressed his or her gratitude for the honor. For their continued support and generosity to Padua, Robert ’71 and Judith Mustee were honored with the Franciscan Medal, as was American Fleet Services. Click here to watch a video of the induction ceremony.

President David Stec ‘86 led the live auction, which featured amazing trips to places like Croatia and Costa Rica, and experiences like the Guardians Mega Loge and a round of golf at Pebble Beach, just to name a few incredible items up for bid. In addition to the live auction, there was also a silent auction, various raffles, and even a round of Plinko.

As part of our Fund-A-Bruin portion of the evening, Mason Martina ’25 shared his moving story about transferring to Padua and losing both of his parents to cancer during his sophomore year. He spoke about the support he received from faculty, staff, coaches, and students in the months and years that followed. 

Mason expressed gratitude for the experiences he’s had as a student leader – traveling to Italy, playing on the Varsity Golf team, becoming the Football team videographer, and serving as the Basketball and Baseball team trainer. He was very involved in Student Leadership Core (SLC) and was deeply impacted by serving on a mission trip in the Dominican Republic. The programs, resources and opportunities, which made all the difference throughout his high school career, were all made possible through the generosity of our community.

A special thanks to our numerous sponsors, including Platinum sponsor Koler Financial Group and the Kurtz Family of Companies. We are grateful for the additional sponsors, the generous donors, bidders, and the committee who helped make this year’s Celebrazione a resounding success. By the end of the event, Padua raised a record-breaking $469,533!

Click here to flip through the program.

If you would still like to support Padua students, we invite you to make a gift online.

Please mark your calendar for next year’s Bruin Benefit on Saturday, April 25, 2026.