Editor,
On Saturday, April 26, the South Whidbey Schools Foundation held its annual Gala dinner and auction at the Useless Bay Golf and Country Club. It was an unqualified success, raising $18,000 to help fund projects and programs for teachers and their students. This was possible only because of the incredible support of the South Whidbey community.
The evening’s events included presentation from various programs and projects funded by the foundation during the 2013-14 school year. These included a demonstration by the South Whidbey Academy’s underwater robotics club, a brief talk by Cary Peterson regarding the district’s garden program, which recently became certified to provide produce for school lunches, and students in gardening projects were on hand to show off their understanding of food-growing practices. Members of the South Whidbey High School Jazz Band also performed.
The audience appreciated the keynote address by Judi Fenton, a former South Whidbey Elementary School Principal, who shared her experiences as an international education consultant.
Conductor of Fun Jim Freeman brought out the laughter as he auctioned off each item with flair and wit. Jim and South Whidbey School District Superintendent Jo Moccia led the “Medallion Game,” which involves eliminating medallion holders until the last one standing wins half the proceeds from the medallion sales. A special thanks goes to Doug and Shelly Ackerman, who won the Medallion Game and promptly donated their entire winnings back to the foundation.
We want to thank the South Whidbey community for its continued generous support of the foundation. We also want to include a special thanks to all the businesses and individuals who donated goods and services for the auction.
The South Whidbey Schools Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to teachers and students in the South Whidbey public schools. More information about the annual gala and the Foundation’s activities can be found at www.SWSFoundation.org
Thank you,
BETTY BOND
Langley
