ELEEF event to be an evening of philanthropy and fun

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW How does one enjoy an evening of philanthropy and fun? By coming to the Dinner Dance and Comedy Night on March 8, according to ELEEF board member Patrick Mailloux.

The East Longmeadow Educational Endowment Fund, or ELEEF, is an organization "whose purpose is exclusively educational and charitable with the primary goal of enhancing the educational opportunities offered in all the public schools," according to the group's Web site (www.eastlongmeadow.org/schools/welcome.htm).

The group was founded in the 1990s with two main goals to create a self-perpetuating endowment of $1 million and to take half of what is raised at every fundraising event and provide it to teachers in the East Longmeadow school district for creative projects through the use of grants.

Mailloux, who joined ELEEF's board last spring, has been working hard to promote the organization's next big fundraiser, a dinner and dance hosted by Elmcrest Country Club. The evening was further developed last year with the addition of two comedians from the Comedy Connection, located inside Faneuil Hall in Boston.

"Last year was our first year with comedians and we had over 220 people turn out," Mailloux said. "We've created a new niche with the comedians."

He added the goal for this annual event is to bring in 300 donors.

The comedians visiting for this year's event are Harrison Stebbins and Mike Whitman. Stebbins describes himself as "wicked funny" on his Myspace page, and the Comedy Lounge on Cape Cod says, "With a sarcastic wit and an improvisational style, Harrison has quickly become one of the most popular acts in the Northeast."

Whitman has opened for big name comedians like Jim Gaffigan and Dane Cook's "Tourgasm" buddy Gary Gulman. Originally from the Berkshires, he uses a combination of brain power, daydreaming and thinking about yesteryears to come up with his material, according to the Boston Comedy Festival Web site, www.bostoncomedyfestival.com. "Mike has been described as one of the few up in coming comics who can be clean and funny at the same time," the site continued.

"The comedians are a big draw," Mailloux said. "It's a lot of laughter, a lot of fun and a chance to support students in our school district."

In addition to the comedians, a buffet dinner will be catered by Elmcrest, music will be provided by a DJ and there will be an open bar as well as a silent auction. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m.; dinner is served at 7 p.m.; and Stebbins and Whitman will take the stage at 8 p.m. Dancing music will be provided through midnight.

The dinner dance isn't the only fundraiser ELEEF hosts, however. "Historically, we've had a golf tournament every June, but last year a lot of rain put a damper on it and we had to move it to the fall," Mailloux said. This year's tournament has been tentatively scheduled for May.

ELEEF will also be raffling off four tickets to the opening day game for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

"Last year, $20,000 were given away in grants," Mailloux stated, "and this year we've received 23 or 24 grant applications." The organization's endowment fund is currently at the $400,000 mark, Mailloux added.

Heather Bliss, ELEEF board member, said the group is currently in the process of awarding over $23,000 in educational grants this year.

Some examples of past grant-funded projects include a robotics project, microscopes for science classes, software for gifted and talented art and music programs keyboards and the purchase of telescopes to study astronomy.

For those not interested in attending the evening but who would like to donate to ELEEF, donations are accepted year round.

"We're trying to raise more to give more," Mailloux said.

Tickets for the dinner dance and comedy show, taking place March 8 from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Elmcrest Country Club, are $55 each and can be purchased by calling Damon D'Amico at 526-0859, Marna Shields at 525-9843, Laura Caine at 525-2451 or Jen Dubish at 313-1699.