SERBS FROM CHICAGO RAISED $700,000 FOR A SCHOOL! Djokovic’s caps, Jokic’s paintings, and Vucevic’s jersey at the auction! “St. Sava” students will study in a new, modern building! (VIDEO)

Last night, a gala fundraising evening for the “St. Sava” Academy was held at the St. Regis Hotel in downtown Chicago, where a record-breaking $700,000 was collected!

The funds will be used to pay off the new school building purchased this year for more than $3.2 million, as well as to equip it with modern school supplies and technology, sports gear, and musical instruments.

And all this in a school year in which the “St. Sava” Academy enrolled a record number of students in its 24 years of existence — as many as 223!

The event was opened by Bishop Serafim, who emphasized the importance of education in preserving the Serbian language and culture in these regions. The attendees were also greeted by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Father Darko Spasojević, as well as other members of the school administration.

Among others, the gala was attended by the Ambassador of Serbia to the United States, Dragan Šutanovac, the consuls of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, Tatjana Telić and Marko Nikolić, as well as prominent Serbs from Chicago and the surrounding area, but also from Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, and Indiana.

The special guest of the gala was this year’s Miss Illinois, Nikolina Vujčić, who herself was once a student of the Academy.

The evening was marked by a rich cultural and artistic program, opened by opera soloist Marija Jelić with her powerful voice.

This was followed by performances by the folklore ensemble “Oko Sokolovo,” the brilliant string ensemble the Radović Sisters, and violin and piano soloists Philippe Quint and Julia Siciliano, who were introduced by organizing committee member and conductor Vladimir Kulenović — who humorously noted at one point that the Stradivarius violin played by Philippe Quint “might be worth more than the school itself.”

The evening also featured an auction of valuable sports memorabilia and works of art, including an autographed Novak Djokovic cap, an NBA jersey of Nikola Vučević, and an oil painting of Nikola Jokić — not quite life-sized, but large enough to adorn the wall of someone’s living room.

Keeping with the athletic spirit, the audience was also addressed by young Serbian-American sports talents gathered within SASA (the Serbian-American Sports Association), founded earlier this year.

The success of the auction and the entire fundraising evening is best reflected in the fact that an incredible $700,000 was raised, and the organizers believe that through a series of additional initiatives, that figure will reach a full one million dollars by the end of the year!

All attendees enjoyed a first-class dinner, and at the end, they were treated to a sweet gift from the sponsor “Balkan Bakery.”

After the official part, the guests were brought to their feet by Dragana Rakčević and Mile Vujnović, and the party later continued at the restaurant “Ambar,” where the afterparty was held.