The St. Margaret’s community gathered together last weekend to celebrate and support the school and its students at Forever Plaid: We’re Still Cookin’, an exciting virtual program viewed by nearly 300 Tartans.

 

The one-hour event was the culmination of several programs that brought the school community together, including the One Epic Auction and the Tartan Chili Cook-Off. The events netted more than $200,000, with proceeds from the events benefitting the PTF Grant Enrichment program, which provides educational and student grants that will enrich the learning environment of the entire student body.

 

“Forever Plaid was a wonderful celebration of St. Margaret’s and our special community,” Head of School Will Moseley said. “We are thankful for the efforts of all who made these events possible, including PTF President Amy Ainsworth, Event Chair Ali Monge and the dedicated volunteers who donated their time and talents. We are grateful for all the generosity that was shown to our school and students, which will make an impact for years to come.”

 

Here’s a look at all the programs that made this year’s Forever Plaid a success:

 

Over the course of seven days, the PTF One Epic Auction drew a whopping 1,640 bids across 352 auction packages. Among the items up for bid were student experiences on campus for individual students, experiences for entire classrooms, and wonderful silent auction items and experiences. All told, more than $150,000 in bids took place.

 

A panel of 10 distinguished judges gathered in the Performing Arts Center foyer to conduct some serious business: judging the Tartan Chili Cook-Off. Lower School music teacher Zach Hanna presided over the event and provided entertainment and commentary worthy of The Food Network. Thirteen brave parents and one student stepped out of their comfort zone and submitted their very own homemade chili dishes. There were classic chilis, a white chili, turkey chili, a “non-chili” chili, a Korean-inspired chili, and a very spicy, smoked chili. In the end, the judges awarded prizes to the following home cooks:

 

Grand Prize: Rosanna Coveyou
Runner-up: Louis Wang ‘27
Most Creative: Maggie Peng
Hottest: Dan Policicchio

 

If you want to attempt Rosanna’s winning chili at home, here’s the recipe.

 

Finally, groups of friends gathered in homes and other venues around Orange County to celebrate Forever Plaid: We’re Still Cookin’. The virtual program included highlights from the cook-off, a “Giving Guide” video, and an update on the Student Commons.

 

“We would like to thank all of the volunteers, underwriters, donors, and professional community, for your support throughout the planning phase and up to the events themselves,” PTF Forever Plaid chair Ali Monge said. “This was really a team effort, and we couldn’t be prouder of the seamless collaboration and organization that took place.”