Annual event raises more than $62,000 for Kennett Education Foundation
Bidders crowd around the dozens of items available during Monday’s Kennett Education Foundation Spring Banquet. The event raised more than $62,000 to help fund educational programs in the Kennett Consolidated School District.
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
KENNETT — You can’t get to the stars without reaching for them first — a message that was repeatedly evident during Monday’s annual Kennett Education Foundation Spring Banquet at the Mendenhall Inn.
A packed house helped the foundation raise more than $62,000, which in turn will go directly into various programs and initiatives for the Kennett Consolidated School District — including $30,000 to help fund the districts Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program.
“We absolutely had an out of this world experience as we reached for the stars – and guess what – I’m pretty sure were were able to grab a few stars when we were reaching,” said Elizabeth Stinson, the KEF board president, after the event.
And with astronaut Chris Ferguson — the final commander of the Space Shuttle Atlantis — the featured speaker of the evening, the idea of reaching for the heavens and making it there didn’t seem so far fetched. But Stinton said she was still overwhelmed by the degree of support from the school district and community for KEF and its mission.
“We raised over $62,000 (Monday),” Stinson said. “The generosity of the Kennett Consolidated School District and Kennett Community continues to amaze me!”
While the heavens were prominent, it was the down-to-Earth works of teachers in the Kennett Consolidated School District that earned kudos during the dinner presentations.
As had become tradition: KEF awarded its annual Outstanding Teachers of The Year awards for 2012-2013. The honorees were Mike Kelly from Kennett High School, Judy Jester from Kennett Middle School, Donna Phillips from Bancroft Elementary, Jo Stirling from Greenwood Elementary, Troy Harris from New Garden Elementary School and Kelly Sarro from Mary D Lang Kindergarten Center.
In addition to the speakers and various awards, there was a vast array of items up for silent auction, as well as a live auction, featuring auctioneer William Bunch, who led a lively and at times highly competitive auction.
Stinson said she wanted to make sure that all of the event sponsors were thanked — citing Exelon Power, Ed Wood of uFinancial, LabWare Holdings, Longwood Gardens, Phillips Mushroom Farms, Longwood Rotary, Sinton Air Conditioning and Heating, Baccellieri Family Dentistry and Riley, Riper, Hollin and Colagreco as among those who helped to make Monday night’s event happen.
