Fremont Education Foundation holds golf outing to benefit District 79
Submitted by Fremont School District 79
In May, the Fremont Education Foundation held its 13th annual golf, dinner and auction fundraiser. The foundation continued its streak of luck (brought on by hardworking trustees and volunteers) by raising record amounts of sponsorships, increasing attendees and augmenting the funds earned for its mission of “Granting Unique and Innovative Learning Opportunities” for the students of District 79.
The event was held at the Ivanhoe Country Club, where golfers enjoyed a beautiful day to play a round. Twelve golfers qualified for a putt-off for a chance to win $10,000. Steve Cook was the finalist who attempted the 40 foot putt for the $10,000, but was not able to sink it. Two foursomes won the prizes for lowest score for the scramble ball, and re-donated their prize winnings back to the Foundation.
The dinner and auction crowd arrived at cocktail time, headlined by Fremont’s own Heather Moran along with Jeff Trudell. The crowd enjoyed favorites like “Skyfall” and other melodies, while bidding on fabulous deals and engaging conversation. The 130 registered dinner guests enjoyed a 35 foot buffet and carving station, dessert and coffee/tea service.
An online auction created a lot of buzz this year as it opened four days prior to the event and highlighted all of the most priceless items and experiences donated by Fremont’s creative educators. Such prizes included: front row band/choir seats; Principal for the Day status; Assistant Principal for the Day; private art lessons with elementary and intermediate art teachers; geocaching with intermediate specials teachers; breakfast with fifth grade teachers; lunch with middle school teachers; graduation tickets; and much more.
The online auction closed the Sunday before the event and had raised an impressive, $950.
“The online auction gave families who were unable to attend the auction and dinner an opportunity to bid on these amazingly generous donations,” said Kim Hansen, the Fremont Education Foundation’s board of education representative.
While the online bidding process closed Sunday night, attendees of the dinner and auction were still able to bid on these items. The very generous attendees were ready to outdo each other in bids for over 50 donated items. They all knew the proceeds of their generosity were going to help turn teacher’s dreams into realities for their children. The Nierman Family were big auction winners bringing home six best-in-house eighth-grade graduation tickets as well as the choice of the D.C. chaperon. The Bonds family was “hot” as they brought home the Firefighter for a Day prize. The Zipfels will be dining and resting easy as they capitalize on their Westin Hotels package that includes an overnight stay and dinner.
A new live-auction item was added this year that included a program called “Fund the Need.” This year, the goal was $10,000 to raise money for a Fremont classroom to have iPads in their room. It was a great first start, and donors opened their wallets and got the event well on its way, raising $3,500 toward the digital goal.
“It was a great evening of the community coming together to support a great cause and unique and innovative learning opportunities for Fremont’s students,” said Karen Stanley, foundation chair. “We are fortunate to have sponsors and attendees who understand the importance of our mission.”
Guin Financial and CDW-G/Cisco led the sponsorships at the Platinum level of $5,000 and above. Pepper Construction and CIC Roofing both helped champion the event with a silver level sponsorship. Christine Lee with RE/MAX Showcase, Meridian Design Build, Harrisson Wallace Financial Group, Siemens and Touch of Sweets continued to help bring in record sponsorship dollars with bronze level sponsorships.
Eleven hole sponsors and four Foundation advocates also helped round out the invaluable sponsorship dollars. The FEF is grateful for all of the sponsors, without them, the FEF could not continue to grant thousands of dollars back to the students and educators of Fremont. For a complete list of sponsors, visit www.fsd79.org/fef.
It’s not too late to donate. Visit www.fsd79.org/fef and use the “Donate Today” link to make an online donation. Or, simply send in a check, payable to the Fremont Education Foundation marked “Fund the Need.”
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