Foundation Ball Raises Funds For Everything From Trout to Technology

If it weren't for the Bethel Education Foundation, there might not be trout farms in the Rockwell School's third grade. “The programs supported by the foundation have impacted thousands of students over the last five or six years,” Janice Chrzescijanek, member of the foundation board and co-chairman of the Barnum Ball, said.

 “At the high school, we bought Buddha Boards, which is something new, and they had an artist come in and draw the principal, Pat Cosentino, so besides education, there are also arts programs that we support,” Chrzescijanek explained.

 The Bethel Education Foundation is preparing for their Sixth Annual Barnum Ball, the biggest fundraiser that the Foundation holds each year. The monies raised from this and all of the other fund raisers supports creative educational programming that the schools would not otherwise be able to support.

 The foundation started in 2004 and has raised $140,000 from private and public sources. While the majority of funds come from events like the Ball, Teachers Appreciation, and Girls Night Out, the foundation has also received grants from AT&T and Duracell.

 All of the schools in Bethel can benefit from the foundation, according to Chrzescijanek, who said, “We fund parochial and public schools, even the pre-schools. It has been a misconception that we are only for public schools. We fund creative and educational programs as well as technology. The grants we have received will allow us to provide scholarships for $2,500 each, but we are looking at doing that after this year, too.”

 In order to receive a grant from the foundation, teachers must go through a full review process, but Chrzescijanek said that most teachers are very familiar with the grant process and that very few projects have been denied. The largest grant the foundation has given was $7,500 for a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program, however most grants are for approximately $2,500, according to Chrzescijanek.

 Other projects have included iPads, iPods, SMARTboards, robotics kits, and “wired for sound.” “We are lucky we have such a close knit community and we have so much support,” Gladys Gonzalez, another member of the Barnum Ball committee, said. “But we are always looking volunteers. The reason I joined the committee was because it meets only once a month in the evenings and it works perfectly in my schedule. People with any type of skills would be welcome and greatly appreciated.”

 This year's Ball theme is a Toast To Bethel, and will be held at the in Danbury on March 24, from 7pm until midnight. The event will be offering an open bar from 7pm-9pm and will also feature dinner and dancing with a new DJ. Live and silent auctions include vacation packages, technology items and many smaller items donated locally. Ticket prices are $70 per person or $650 for a table of ten. For more information and to see the list of items for auction, visit the website, www.betheledfoundation.org/BarnumBall2012.html