GREENFIELD — Every year, Ginny Brown is amazed by her community.
As executive director of the Greenfield Central School Foundation, Brown plans and puts on the foundation’s sole fundraiser, The Red Letter Gala, knowing the community will come ready to give.
The Red Letter Gala, planned for Sept. 30, raises about $35,000 annually for the foundation’s efforts to support local educators. The school foundation provides grants throughout the year to provide additional resources to classrooms the corporation otherwise can’t afford.
The event is open to the public. Tickets cost $50 per person and include hors d’oeuvres and dinner.
The gala, which has been conducted annually since 2011, also serves as a time to congratulate and celebrate the newest inductees into the alumni hall of fame.
Each year, the gala features classroom “wishes” from Greenfield-Central teachers, and attendees are encouraged to give a donation to help grant them. In years past, wishes have ranged from a request for new markers to funding classroom field trips. Last year, the event, attended by about 200 people, raised more than $12,000 toward granting teacher requests.
“Our community is amazing,” Brown said. “It’s just incredible.”
But the foundation doesn’t have funding to grant every wish and grant request teachers have, Brown said.
This year, 85 wishes have been made to the Greenfield Central School Foundation, she said.
An additional 50 requests have been made for the foundation’s educational enrichment grants, which support programs and projects completed in the classroom or in an after-school setting. Money raised through the gala funds those grants.
With that in mind, Brown had a choice — grow the gala or plan a second event to generate more support. This year, gala attendees will be invited to play a game called Kahoot, a learning-based trivia game played on a smart phone or other device.
Students in classrooms across the district play the game in class often, Brown said.
A donation of any amount will activate the game for the player. Organizers hope to raise $12,500 needed to match a grant from the Hancock County Community Foundation, she said.
Brown hopes to see even more people at this year’s gala.
“It’s a lot of fun, and it benefits our 4,600 students,” she said. “This is a way to directly touch all those kids.”
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What: Greenfield Central School Foundation’s Red Letter Gala
When: 5:30 p.m. Sept. 30
Where: Addagios, 5999 Memory Lane, Greenfield
Cost: $50/person
To RSVP, call 317-477-4103 or visit gcschoolfoundation.org. Reservations are due by Sept. 16.
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