ELEEF raises the bar for signature fund-raiser
Date: 1/23/2012
Jan. 23, 2012By Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.comEAST LONGMEADOW — The East Longmeadow Education Endowment Fund (ELEEF) is gearing up for its signature fund-raising event.
Organizers are putting the finishing touches on the 17th annual Dinner Dance for Education, the primary funding source for the organization, which offers grants for educational enrichment tools and programs in the East Longmeadow Public Schools.
“This year’s event is going to be a celebration of wine and food,” Damon D’Amico, president of ELEEF said. “As our signature event, this dinner typically raises $25,000.”
The dinner dance will take place on Feb. 11 from 6 p.m. to midnight at Twin Hills Country Club, 700 Wolf Swamp Road, Longmeadow.
Sponsored by the Tudor House, the dinner dance will offer unlimited wine tasting, paired with specialty food items, including carving, pasta and seafood stations.
“[Twin Hills Country Club] told us they’re really going to step up the food for us this year,” D’Amico said.
A silent auction will also take place, highlighted by an iPad, a baseball signed by Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, as well as Patriots and Red Sox tickets.
D’Amico recognized that this year’s function is earlier than it has been in years past and said there was a specific reason for that.
“We’re hosting this earlier this year in order to make it a little closer to Valentine’s Day in order to offer a nice alternative for parents to celebrate,” he said.
In a ceremony prior to the dinner, ELEEF will present this year’s grant awards.
“There are a lot of grants we are very excited about this year,” D’Amico said.
Among the awards is funding for a full set of string instruments for grades 6 through 12.
“When people enter the dinner dance, they’ll arrive to the music of the East Longmeadow Jazz Ensemble,” D’Amico said. “Next year, those kids will be playing the instruments at the dinner dance that this year’s grant will buy.”
Funding for a 10-unit iPad cart for Middlebrook Elementary School was also awarded.
“We’re hoping that this can be the start of a pilot program,” D’Amico said. “It’s something other communities have started using and it’s a specialized opportunity for students to be completely interactive with their subject material.”
In addition to these, D’Amico said ELEEF grant awards went “heavy in science” for the elementary school level.
Tickets for the dinner dance are $60. Those interested in purchasing tickets should call Laura Caine at 525-2451 or Marna Shields 525-9843.
