....................480 Adams Street, Suite #208, Milton Massachusetts, USA • 617.696.7758
 
 
 
 

New Date
for Celebration
for Education

Kathy Kurtz Ferrari
Staff Writer
10/19/10
After raising more than $2 million for the public schools in a little over a decade with its Celebration for Education, the Milton Foundation for Education has decided to mix it up a bit.

Instead of its gala dinner and auction held at Lombardo’s in November since 1999, a more casual event is scheduled for Saturday, April 2, at the Marriott Hotel in Quincy. Co-Chairs Astrid Hajjar, Patti Elliot and Lisa Viola are rolling up their sleeves in planning the new event. The theme will be “The Big Backyard Bash.”

“We decided the celebration needed to be revamped,” said Hajjar, adding that the event, while still successful, had become a bit of a challenge after 11 years. “We figured it was time to try something new, and we’re very excited.”

Celebration 2011 will be more casual, with a less expensive ticket price, and planners are hoping to attract more than 600 attendees.

“We really thought it was time to change it up a little,” said MFE President Mary McLaughlin. “We all felt that November is such a busy time of year.”

The April event will feature dancing, live music, food and, as always, live and silent auctions.

A special part of the new Celebration for Education will be a chance to honor people from the community. This year’s event will recognize Anne Coghlan, the past MFE president and founding board member who has worked for the benefit of the town’s children; as well as Gary Kelly, a Milton High School alum, parent, community volunteer, and MFE board member.

The celebration committee will also have several honorary co-chairs from the community, recognizing the hard work of others from town.

While plans are under way for the celebration, which has historically been the town’s biggest fund-raiser, the MFE is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.

During each school’s open house in September, board members from the foundation greeted parents with birthday cake and information about all the MFE has done for the schools. Co-Chairs Karen DeLuca and Laura Conway worked throughout the past several months to showcase the benefits each school has received thanks to the foundation over the years.

“We’re celebrating a lot this year and next year with the foundation,” said Hajjar. “Parents have been so generous with their support. …We’ve seen a lot of success. And now, we know we have tough economic times but we hope that the community will come out again to support us.”

Proceeds from the April 2 Celebration for Education will benefit each school’s PTO, including funds for outdoor classrooms, upgrades to playground spaces, before and after school programs, and video production technology.

Visit www.miltonfoundationforeducation.org to learn more about the MFE, to donate or be a sponsor for the Celebration for Education.