14TH ANNUAL WINTER GALA SUCCESSFULLY KICKS OFF FUNDRAISING YEAR FOR THE HOPKINTON EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Corporate Sponsorships Reach Record Levels for the Hopkinton Education Foundation
Feb. 14, 2007 – This year’s Hopkinton Education Foundation (HEF) Annual Winter Gala, held at the Sheraton Framingham raised over $34,000 which will be used to fund Hopkinton school program grants submitted by local teachers. The 14th Annual HEF Winter Gala was attended by 400 guests who enjoyed an elegant evening of dinner, dancing, and a game room featuring blackjack and Texas Hold’Em.
The fast-paced live auction raised the lion’s share of the funds with guests bidding on thirteen exciting deluxe packages including a weekend getaway to Jurys Hotel in Boston, a Cape Cod vacation break, and the opportunity to attend a live taping of Emeril Live! in New York. Heated competition developed around the three food and wine packages up for bid which included a catered wine dinner in the winner’s home by Tomasso Trattoria of Southborough and two guided wine-tasting parties. Sports remained an audience favorite with bidders rallying for the opportunity to have a private pre-game tour of Fenway and entrance onto the field for batting practice. Other popular items of the night were the Ultimate Bruins Experience with tickets in the NESN suite provided by the New England Sports Network and the opportunity for a private fishing trip guided by David Sloan of On the Hook TV.
There was plenty of action to be had as guests danced to the tunes of the Search Party band and played poker and black jack in the game room. Attendees anxiously searched the raffle prize winner list to see if they were one of the lucky ticket holders. According to HEF president Ruth Ann Cote, “The Winter Gala is the HEF’s largest single fundraiser each year. We are grateful for the support of the community and the generous Gala sponsors Strata Bank, Murtha Cullina LLP, Jeannine Coburn and Janet Carlson of RE/MAX Executive Realty, Bonardi’s, SunnysideGardens, and Weston Nurseries.”
“The HEF has greatly expanded its outreach program to companies and is pleased to have a record number of corporate sponsors including EMC, The Milford National Bank, Phipps Insurance Agency, Middlesex Savings Bank, the Richmond Group, and UNICCO. Our corporate sponsorship campaign is ongoing and we look forward to more companies joining us in our mission” continued Ruth Ann Cote.
Next up for the HEF is a family-focused fundraising event featuring The Tanglewood Marionette’s production of “The Fairy Circus.” Two shows (11:00 am and 1:00 pm) will be held on Saturday March 10th at the First Congregational Church of Hopkinton.
Founded in 1992, the Hopkinton Education Foundation is a volunteer, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing grants to teachers that support the goals and curriculum of the Hopkinton public schools. Through fundraising events, corporate contributions and the generous donations of the Hopkinton community and local area businesses, the HEF continues to foster high-quality programs affecting all grade levels and all educational disciplines. To date, the HEF has funded more than 245 educational grants totaling more than $676,000. For more information about the HEF, its fundraising activities and grant criteria, please visit
Contact:
Maureen Belger
508-686-2790 or 508-361-6077