GREENFIELD — No need to dress up for the Red Letter Gala this year. The upcoming 10th annual event is going virtual due to pandemic safety concerns.
The Greenfield-Central School Foundation’s sole fundraiser of the year will be streamed live on Sept. 26, starting at 7 p.m.
The public is invited to have viewing parties to watch from home while practicing safe distancing with family and friends.
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Those who sponsor the event can even get dessert delivered to their door.
“Our supporters always love coming to the gala, but we’re hopeful everyone will embrace this new concept this year,” said the foundation’s executive director, Ginny Brown.
The event also will recognize three alumni who will be inducted into the Greenfield-Central Alumni Hall of Fame: the late Robert Willits, a longtime home builder in Greenfield; Mark Dudley, a leading real estate executive in the county; and Dave Holmes, a former teacher and executive at Hancock Regional Hospital.
Last year, the foundation netted about $55,000, when 250 people attended the event at Adaggios Banquet Hall in Greenfield.
Brown is hopeful this year’s virtual event can still net a substantial amount, despite the lack of the usual fancy dinner and hors d’oeuvres.
All past gala attendees have received word of the new concept, and most have already mailed in a check to cover the cost of the standard $50 gala ticket, if not more.
“Everybody has been super supportive and are excited about watching,” Brown said.
The virtual event will feature the same highlights as every year, like fundraising efforts to grant teachers’ “wishes” and the induction of new members into the hall of fame.
It will also include a few new additions, like pre-recorded performances by the high school band and choir, and a comedic skit performed by the high school’s theater students.
“We’re trying to put some lighthearted humor to this unprecedented school year,” Brown said.
The gala’s main focus each year is to raise funds for the foundation, which supports local educators by helping cover the cost of items the corporation can’t afford. That amount can be substantial in a school district that employs 500 staff members and serves 4,500 students.
Brown said that of the $55,000 netted from last year’s gala, roughly $25,000 went directly to funding teachers’ requests for items to be used in the classroom.
Not surprisingly, a number of wishes this year center on the complexities of teaching during a pandemic. The list of wishes totals $30,000 in supplies.
Some teachers have requested microphones or voice amplifiers to help students hear them better when talking through a face mask. Others have requested transparent masks to better communicate with students who are deaf or hearing impaired.
Many have requested document cameras, iPads and other technology to aid with virtual learning.
Some have requested flexible seating that can help students comfortably maintain distance, while others have requested books about social and emotional learning to help both staff and students cope with a tumultuous school year.
Brown said half the wish list has already been granted by loyal foundation supporters.
“I shared the list with a number of people, and within 24 hours I had over half the wishes granted,” she said, but many more remain.
Brown is hopeful that a big viewing audience will tune in to the virtual event on Sept. 26, including many who have never attended the gala.
As always, the event will recognize a number of award winners and honorees, including the Friend of the Foundation award winner and Set A Good Example athletes.
The induction of Dudley, Holmes and Willits will be a highlight.
Dudley, a lifetime Hancock County resident who graduated from Greenfield-Central High School in 1965, has been a prominent local Realtor since 1973.
His brokerage company, RE/MAX Realty Group, has been a regular sponsor of Greenfield-Central sporting events and teams throughout the years, and he’s a regular supporter of the Red Letter Gala.
Holmes graduated from Hancock Central High School in 1967.
He once worked for Greenfield-Central Schools as a social students teacher, driver’s ed instructor, guidance counselor and assistant dean of boys. He then transitioned to Hancock Regional Hospital, where he created the personnel department as personnel director and later served as vice president of human resources and support services.
Willits, who graduated from Maxwell High School in 1942, was a prominent home builder in Hancock County for more than 60 years. He was a staff sergeant for the U.S. Army in World War II, when he received a purple heart and three bronze stars.
Up until his death in 2015, he was an active supporter of Greenfield-Central schools.
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The Greenfield-Central School Foundation’s 10th annual Red Letter Gala will take place virtually this year, starting at 7 p.m. Sept. 26. The program will last about 45 minutes and is free to watch.
Donations are encouraged to support the foundation’s mission to support local educators.
Viewers can watch on Ninestar’s Channel 9, through the foundation’s Facebook Live event or through a YouTube link.
Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant in Greenfield will stream the event in its bar area, which will be limited to 30 guests.
To become an event sponsor, visit this link: bit.ly/2D6BMSx
The deadline to become an event sponsor listed in the event program is Sept. 4. Sponsors will also be listed on the event broadcast, on Facebook and in newspaper advertising.
For more information, contact the foundation’s executive director Ginny Brown at 317-477-4103 or [email protected]
To learn more about the foundation, visit
https://www.gcschoolfoundation.org/
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