District 207 Foundation Dinner Raises $13,000

The fifth annual Maine Township High School District 207 Educational Foundation Benefit Dinner, “A Night For The Books,” was held at the Rosewood Restaurant on Tuesday, April 4, and it certainly was one.

The benefit helped raise $13,000 for District 207's foundation and was attended by 163 guests. 

Featured was entertainment by the Maine East Chamber Choir, the Maine West Jazz Band and the Maine South Chamber Orchestra. Recognized were the many District 207 Educational Foundation grant recipients, whose innovative and engaging learning activities have been supported since the last benefit. Recent grants helped groups of Maine West students take a service trip to a Native American reservation in the Black Hills, install a wind turbine on campus, and purchase a microphone and amplifier for their poetry slam group, “Louder Than A Lawnmower.”

Foundation members, District 207 administrators, teachers, retired teachers, alumni, and community members gathered to raise money for the special events, guest speakers, field trips, and other unique opportunities that will be funded in the year to come. Retired Maine East principal and Foundation member David Barker, emcee for the evening, conducted an on-the-spot grant sponsorship which raised money for a vaccine freezer for the School Based Health Center at Maine East and for summer reading books for economically disadvantaged students at all three schools. A silent auction of over sixty items generously donated by local restaurants and area attractions and a 50-50 raffle also added to the fundraising effort.