District 214 Education Foundation golf outing funds offer opportunities
Rosalva Alcantar, a Rolling Meadows High School graduate, can attest to the transformative possibilities given to students through the District 214 Education Foundation.
As a Rolling Meadows senior, she needed scrubs to take a Certified Nursing Assistant class, but lacked the money. A donor's single contribution made it possible. She got the scrubs - then finished the class and passed the state test, becoming a certified CNA while still in high school.
"Thanks to people like you, students like me are able to believe in ourselves and achieve anything that comes our way," she wrote to the donor. "I don't have enough words to thank you."
Alcantar, now continuing her health care studies at Harper College, is the featured speaker at the fifth annual Foundation for the Future Golf Open and Reception, an annual foundation event supporting innovation and success beyond the limitations of conventional education funding.
The event, scheduled for Monday, Sept. 9, at the private Rolling Green Country Club in Arlington Heights, invites community partners, donors, parents and others to embrace the importance of investing in public education, and focuses on the reward of giving back and the outstanding impact their contributions can have on preparing students for the future.
The Open features 18 holes of golf, brunch, on-course contests, on-course food prepared and served by District 214 culinary students and a lively reception featuring entertainment and food stations. Shotgun start is at noon.
Pricing is $250 for a single golfer ($1,000 for a foursome) or $50 for the reception only, which starts at 4:45 p.m. Sponsorships also are available.
To register or for more information, visit www.214foundation.org/golf-open.
The event annually raises more than $55,000, translating to college visits for first-generation students and their families; test fees for students needing to pay for Advanced Placement exams; breakfasts for in-need students; scholarships; startup and advancement costs for outstanding entrepreneurs; career pathway opportunities; teacher grants; and more.
"It is absolutely fantastic to see that support from our community," said Tom Munz, chair of the foundation board. "They believe in what we do, and in every student's potential for success."
This year's major sponsors include Pepper Construction (Event Sponsor); Franczek and STR Partners (Platinum Sponsors); Grand Prairie Transit, Mount Prospect State Bank and Parenti & Raffaelli (Gold Sponsors); CS2 Design Group, Fidelity and Yev Kozachuk with Edward Jones (Silver Sponsors); and American Taxi, Arlington Heights Ford, Atomatic Mechanical, Daily Herald, Keats Manufacturing, Kizer & Associates, PMA, TouchPros and Verde Solutions (Bronze Sponsors). U Keep Us in Stitches is providing a hole in one prize.
Seven companies also provided hole sponsorships, as well as raffle contributions.
District 214 comprises six comprehensive high schools and four specialized schools, serving more than 12,000 students as the state's large high school system. The foundation is a separate 501(c) (3) organization supporting the district's students, educators and programs.
To learn more about the District 214 Education Foundation, visit www.214foundation.org.