Exchanging all precious gifts

A spring fund-raiser for the Highland Park Educational Foundation will be an auction of goods, services and art works to be held at the Rutgers Student Center lounge on College Ave on Sunday, March 27, beginning at 4:00.

After an hour to preview the items, we will serve a light dinner with wine, listen to four teachers talk about projects the Ed Foundation has supported, and then the live auction itself. Eric Krebs will be the auctioneer for this entertaining, fun event.

 

The seventy items that have been donated so far include a summer week at a house on Cape Cod, a week at a high class time share virtually anywhere in the world, Yankee, Nets, and Rutgers Football tickets. Theatre tickets include Met opera with Renee Fleming, Bargemusic, Amy Herzog's new play "4000 miles," as well as the George Street Playhouse, Crossroads, and the State Theatre productions. Outdoor activities offer sailing on Raritan Bay, basic kayak instruction, and a guided walking tour of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Local merchants, among them Raspa Jewelers, Arthur Murray, Family Martial Arts, Studio 808, and Beamesderfer Gallery, have generously provided services or gift certificates, as have photographers Bill Bonner, Saskia Marina and Jerry Hriniak. People can improve their home through consultations with John Webster, Barbara Littman and Steve Buzbee.

 

Ellen Lange offers a facial, Haven a haircut, and Metra personal training at Inspire Me Fit. Some other special items are a large 1872 map of New Brunswick and Highland Park, and the first sales brochure for homes in the Livingston Manor section of Highland Park from around 1900. There will be 10 wonderful pieces by local artists Bill Giacalone, Diana Gonzalez Gandolfi, Phil Orenstein, Madeleine Polymeropolous, Ellen Rebarber, John Watts, Susan Weltman, Brian Weitz and Lisa Zimmerman.

 

In addition, some 13 baskets filled with creatively themed items will be sold in silent auction format. Rounding out this partial list, three golfers may bid to join superintendent Frances Wood for a round of gold at a local course.

Since 1997, the Ed Foundation provides grants for programs in the public schools that the Board of Education is unable to fund. Recently, HPEF provided ping pong tables for the teen center, CPR instruction in middle and high schools, the middle eastern musical group at Diversity Day, all eighth graders to see "Raisin in the Sun" at the Crossroads Theatre, and an upcoming visit by author Wendy Mass. Half the cost of fifth graders' Camp Bernie overnight experience is an ongoing commitment by the HPEF.

Annually some $25,000 is raised and given to the schools in the form of teacher grants.

Auction chairs Michael Brailove and Diane Hoffman said they expect a great turnout on March 27 for this event. A website showing the auction items -- https://sites.google.com/site/hpeducationalfoundation/ -- will be online early in March. To register to attend, or for more information, phone 732-545-5223.