It isn’t often that an organization plans a ball and then promptly tells everyone not to show up at it.

Because of COVID-19, organizers of the annual Friends of St. Edmond Ball are doing that for the second year in a row.

The 38th annual Friends of St. Edmond Ball will take place in a virtual format from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. today on the St. Edmond Development Office Facebook page.

It will feature live music, entertainment and a virtual tour of the new Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Tom Miklo, the school’s director of development who will retire at the end of May, will be the subject of a comedy roast during the ball. While being the target of a comedy roast sounds ominous, rest assured that he will be subjected to nothing worse than a little sarcasm.

There will be an auction of about 100 items. It will include perhaps one of the rarest objects to be auctioned off in Fort Dodge: a 1913 Edison Diamond Disc B250 phonograph with 50 records.

To place bids, go to biddingforgood.com/seball.

Bidding will end at 9 p.m. today.

The bulk of the money raised through the no show ball will be used to pay operating expenses of the school. If there is a little extra money, it will be used for special projects at the school.

We are impressed by the creativity displayed by the people at St. Edmond who came up with the concept of a no show ball. They have gone above and beyond to turn a bad situation into one that will be a winner for the school and its students.

We urge local residents to support the school by bidding in the online auction and by buying raffle tickets, both of which are the key elements of this year’s no show ball.