Photo by Dani Klein-Williams of dani. fine photography
Members of the SFES Board are pictured in their Masquerade Ball finery at the SFES gala.
It was difficult to tell who was who at the Suffield Foundation for Excellent Schools “Moonlight Masquerade Ball” as most attendees wore masks along with their finery, but it was easy to see that all had a good time. Tickets to the auction gala, held on March 25, at Chez Josef, were a hot item and sold out weeks before the event which raised just over $30,000 to support the SFES’ mission to provide support for innovative and exceptional programs, and opportunities that benefit Suffield public school students.
After the cocktail hour and bidding on silent auction items, guests sat down to dinner and were welcomed by SFES President Lauren Low. She thanked the evening’s sponsors and the many volunteers who helped Gala Co-chairs Megan Hastings and Kristi Upton make the event a success. She also mentioned that there were Honor Thy Educator cards at each table which for $25 could be filled out to honor and thank any teacher. A personal message could be written on the back and all cards would be delivered to the honoree. For anyone who did not attend the auction but would like to honor/thank a teacher in this manner, please visit our website: www.SFES.org.
In addition to over one hundred silent auction items, there were ten live auction items which produced some lively bidding after dinner. Those who were outbid on items could still contribute by supporting the “Raise the Paddle” effort which this year focused on providing students in grades 3-12 access to the educational website, Gizmo. Science Coordinator Steve Autieri, who was available during the evening to give demonstrations of the Gizmo software, also gave a brief presentation on the interactive, inquiry based Gizmo experience which drives deeper analysis and understanding of over 450 STEM (science technology engineering and math) modules. The Gizmo cost and hence the monetary goal, was $11,000. The paddle raising began at $1,000 and went all the way down in increments to $50. Due to individual participant generosity, it appeared that the goal would be met. Alas, at the lowest contribution level there were no more paddles to be raised and only $9,000 was pledged. At that point, George Hermann, President of Windsor Federal Savings, took the auctioneer aside who then announced that Windsor Federal would pledge the additional $2,000 to meet the goal!
Following the dinner and live auction, attendees took to the dance floor while SFES members and both adult and student volunteers helped collect payments and deliver the items to the winning bidders.
With events such as this, the SFES has awarded over $600,000 in grants to the Suffield Public School system in the past 14 years. From music and the arts to the sciences and technology, SFES has provided some outstanding opportunities for our students to learn. We would like to thank the community and our sponsors for their support which enable us to do this. Please be reminded that if your company provides matching grants to your donations, you can name the SFES as a recipient. If you wish to make a donation, complete an Honor Thy Educator card, see a list of our auction sponsors or just see more pictures from the gala, visit our website.