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Reminder Assistant Editor LONGMEADOW The biggest bash in town is gearing up to return to the Longmeadow Country Club this November. Judi Threlfall and Ann Burke are once again serving as co-chairs of the LEEF Gala Committee this year, and they said they learned a lot during last year's fundraiser and that this year's event will be even better. In the past, LEEF (the Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation) hosted its sit-down dinner gala at Chez Josef in Agawam but last year, Burke and Threlfall moved it to the Longmeadow Country Club on Shaker Road and transformed it into a cocktail party setting. The gala will be taking place this year on Nov. 15. "The biggest change to this year's gala will be the layout," Burke explained. "We want to improve the flow and do some things with the live auction to make it more visible." Returning this year will be the surprise gift boxes, high school musicians showcasing their talents and a wide variety of food stations, including the mashed potato bar. Burke said the focus will be on "fun comfort foods." There will once again be a large range of items available during the fundraiser, from gift certificates to sports memorabilia to a trip to Paris. Threlfall said the committee has been gathering items since June. All the money raised at the LEEF Gala is used "to enrich, enhance and support the quality of education in the Longmeadow public schools. LEEF is committed to underwriting grants to provide our schools (K-12) with extraordinary opportunities beyond the scope of our tax supported budgets," according to LEEF's mission statement. Joe Aberdale, a LEEF board member, said last year's gala raised $75,000. Three hundred seventy-five donors attended the 2007 gala, and Threlfall is hoping to reach maximum capacity with 400 this year. "It's an opportunity to support the schools, buy things, meet your friends and have a good time," Burke said. The Gala Committee will be sending out invitations soon, and the co-chairs ask that those interested in attending reply as soon as possible. For those unable to make the gala, however, there is the opportunity to donate any amount to the President's Challenge, which will select a specific grant project and match the funds raised at the gala through donations. The project has yet to be selected. The gala and the grants would not be possible without the hard work of volunteers, however. "The strength of LEEF is the volunteers who help make this happen," Burke stated. Thanks to the work of both the volunteers and the donors, LEEF has awarded over $500,000 in educational grants to Longmeadow teachers so far, according to Aberdale. Anyone interested in helping out with the 2008 LEEF Gala is encouraged to contact Burke at 567-7141 or Threlfall at 567-3260.To learn more about LEEF, visit www.longmeadowleef.org. | ||||||
