The "Night at the Nest" is an inaugural UWRF Falcon Athletic fundraiser happening this Friday night (Jan 31) from 6-8:30 p.m. in Page Arena. Registration is required for the live auction event. Complimentary food and beverages will be served throughout the evening as part of the $100 admission fee.

Those unable to attend can still bid on 52 silent auction items at uwrfsports.com. As of Monday, the Kansas City Quarterback Patrick Mahomes' autographed football leading bid was $700. The Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce's signed football was currently $340.

"It's not just all sports stuff," said UWRF Athletic Advancement Officer Scott Sekelsky.

Sekelsky just reached his one-year employee anniversary in the newly created athletic fundraising role. Sekelsky's Falcon ties run deep, however. He ran cross country for the Falcons in the late 1990's and coached the cross-country team from 2005-'14. Sekelsky had been working at his full-time position as a fitness instructor for the Baldwin Area Medical Center prior to his new athletic fundraising position. 

"I'm learning as I go," said Sekelsky, "and Ben (Fraser) has been really helpful for me and he's going to help do the live auction."

Fraser worked for UWRF as the Assistant Director of Sports Facilities for three years before moving onto to work for the University of Wisconsin Badger athletic department and University of Minnesota Athletics for 10 years. Fraser is currently the Deputy Athletic Director of Development at St. Thomas University.

Fraser heads up "The Purple Party" for Tommie Athletics raising close to $400,000 annually, the inspiration behind the “Night at the Nest.”

"I'll be super excited if we raise close to $30,000 to $40,000 this first year," said Sekelsky. "I'm not sure what to expect but I'm really excited about the incredible things people can bid on."

River Falls' residents, Curt and Jack Bruns of Jostens, donated the current high-bid silent auction item to date (high bid was $1,700 earlier this week). It's an Indianapolis 500 weekend experience where two people can ride with an Indy 500 driver at 180 mph for two laps and receive VIP tickets at the starting and finish lines. It also includes race weekend concert tickets among other features. 

"Every item on our auction has a connection to here (Falcon sports)," said UWRF Athletic Director Crystal Lanning. "It's just really cool to see everyone collaborating and come together."

"We received the Minnesota Wild suite for 18 people (a live auction item) because Sean Roadhouse (UWRF Assistant Men's Hockey Coach) got us in touch with a dad of one of the hockey players," said Sekelsky.

Lanning said funds raised from the "Night at the Nest" are not icing on the cake.

"This is no secret, funding through the state has kept declining, but our expenses have not," said Lanning. "Travel, officials, hotels, you name it, those costs are going up. Our coaches are having to do so much fund raising on their own for basic necessities."

"If the 'Night at the Nest' takes off and we can raise more funds as a department," continued Lanning, "we can take some pressure off the coaches, which will benefit our student-athletes."

Currently, Lanning says between sponsors, summer camps, the booster club, and efforts by the individual coaches, Falcon sports fundraised about $600,000 last year.

"We need to be closer to fundraising $1 million each year for us to remain sustainable," said Lanning, "but it's tough because the local River Falls' business community gives to local youth sports, the high school, and us, and so many others. Are we going to reach a different audience with the 'Night at the Nest'? I sure hope so."   

One local business owner, Cory Hart at Swinging Bridge Brewery in River Falls, says he is happy to help. There are some major experience items in the auction like Caribbean get-away golf trips and an ultra-exclusive west coast restaurant experience with a six-month reservation wait time. Hart and Swinging Bridge Brewery are donating a unique experience most donors can afford.

"Our item is a chance for up to six people to brew their own beer and we'll put their own label on it," said Hart. "They won't have to clean up and I'll make them lunch. They get the fun part; we do the hard part. Falcon athletics has been good to us, we want to give back."

"The 'Night at the Nest' is a new way where someone can get something really cool and fun out of it but know they're supporting a good cause," said Lanning. 

For more information about the "Night at the Nest," or to bid on a silent auction item, visit uwrfsports.com.