“From a little spark may burst a might flame” – Dante
A night spent virtually “together” united our community in celebration of our exceptional teachers and students. Thank you for supporting Waterford School this year. 349 households logged into the event to SPARK Caring, SPARK Community, SPARK Connection, and SPARK giving! We laughed, we cried and we ended the night with historic giving.
The Spark! evening was planned by an amazing Gala committee chaired by Eyee Hsu P’25. Beautiful videos brought parents into their student’s classrooms (something that has not been possible in this Covid year), sharing what Waterford has sparked for them. Highlights included a class countdown video, a kick-off video featuring our own orchestra playing the theme song from Mission Impossible, cameos from Adam Pascal of the original cast from Rent and Shannon Barkhe (“Sparky Bahrke”) a three time Olympic medalist in skiing, and a rendition of Katy Perry’s song Firework.
The big opportunity drawing for the night was our Golden Ticket—where families could buy tickets for the chance to have $10,000 of next year’s tuition. Additionally, silent auction items and parent sign-up parties added some fun and healthy competition with amazing opportunities like a trip to golf in Ireland, diamond earrings, Hale Center theatre tickets, street photography lessons, and a hike with Waterford’s Outdoor Program director Chris Watkins. A video featuring our teachers and our school theme this year, Caring, was shown bringing highlighting the Teaching Excellence that is at the heart of Waterford. Gala attendees were then asked to virtually raise their paddles and donate in support of our school—parents, faculty and staff and extended family and friends showed a level of generosity and pride, which is seen in the amazing outcome of the night. A big thank you to parents Peter Osborn and Kristin Stockham for leading the paddle raise.
With a goal of $150,000, our school collectively raised $354,369 at this year’s Founders Gala to support teaching excellence and tuition assistance. This is the most raised at any Waterford School Founders Gala, and approximately $100,000 more than our last Gala in 2019. And while we all miss being together, we showed how much the sense of community means to us, even when celebrating apart. Thank you to all those who attended, all those who made this night possible, and all those who continue to help Waterford support our students with a world-class liberal arts education.
The Founders Gala could not be possible without the parent volunteer committee who puts this whole night together. This committee contributes countless hours, creativity, and resources to the planning and execution of this event. Our heartfelt thanks to them all, especially Spark Chair, Eyee Hsu.
Corporate Sponsors made this evening possible—their generous support ensures that every dollar raised at the Founders Gala goes directly to the programs of Waterford School. Thank you, sponsors, for your vision and commitment to Waterford School, especially in this unique year where we threw the Gala virtually.
Alta Ski Area Ballet West Brad and Megan Bonham Chris and Camie Carlyle Christine Gore and Joe Masi Kyndra and Douglas Peterson Sari and Felix Rauscher Suzanne and Gary Dildy Heather Scott and David Schmidt Hope and Kristine Eccles Allison and Jason Dittmer John Entwistle Kristin and Tom Stockham OC Tanner Rosie O’Grady Sam and John Gellert Jen and Steve Miller Traeger Grill Bea and Vincent Washington Waterford School
To see the Firework video that premiered at the Founders Gala, click here.
May 17, 2023
September 4, 2020
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