St. Lucie County - Friday December 22, 2023: The 24th Annual St. Lucie County Education Foundation’s 'Evening for Education' raised over $100,000 at its annual gala this year.
The foundation provides teacher grants, which focus on programs that help improve student literacy, it supports struggling students and provides student scholarships.
The Foundation typically awards over 60 scholarships each year to students of excellence, and students in need, who have succeeded, despite personal challenges. It also awards grants that support Science, Technology, Engineering & Math, or STEM programs, and Career & Technical Education, or CTE program, such as healthcare.
The funds raised this year will help support those ongoing programs, as well as new programs, such as a planned outdoor science classroom that will be held on an island in the Indian River Lagoon, and a new program on Artificial Intelligence.
The St. Lucie County Education Foundation is a community wide organization that connects the community to the classroom, promotes innovate learning, and celebrates success in the public-school district.
The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation dedicating to advancing public K-12 education.
24th Annual Evening for Education Gala
The Evening for Education Gala was created in 1999 to raise awareness and celebrate public education. The Masters of Ceremony was Michelle Miller, Clerk of the Court & Comptroller for St. Lucie County. Anna Babcock, 2024 Teacher of the Year, was another featured speaker.
An online auction opened on event day and continued until November 20. The month-long event included over 100 items that were accessible with your smart phone or computer. “This was the best silent auction in many years since we reached a larger audience and the ease of the technology engaged the bidders with easy settlement,” said Thom Jones, President of the Education Foundation. “I would like to thank everyone who supported the event, the many donors of auction items, our event sponsors and our donors at the live dinner events,” he added.
The event was held at the Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club on Saturday, November 4 and included dinner, a live auction, sponsored by A & G Concrete Pools in Fort Pierce. Core Construction sponsored the reception. Gold Sponsors included PNC Bank, Comcast, Jacquin & Sons, Seacoast Bank, Remnant Construction, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union & Keiser University. Silver Sponsors were Gold Coast Credit Union, Proctor Construction and Wharton Smith Construction. James & Eileen Abbott were the Bronze sponsors.
Live auction items included a diamond bracelet, courtesy of Colorado Jewelry, a sunset cruise on the Last Mango charter boat, courtesy of Captain Tristram Colket, two all-inclusive sports packages with the Miami Heat and Miami Marlins donated by PNC Bank, a chef tasting & wine pairing by Tutto Fresco Fine Italian Restaurant and a corporate holiday party donated by RJB Celebrations. Travis Leonard, CEO of A&G Concrete Pools & Michelle Miller, Clerk of the Court & Comptroller for St. Lucie County were the auctioneers.
The Education Foundation would also like to thank major donors of auction items: St Lucie Public Schools, PGA Golf, Pastaio Italian Restaurant & Meating Street Restaurant, Oak & Embers Restaurant, St. Lucie Draft House, Hillmoor Optical and Carol DiFrancesco donating 7 pieces of artwork and over 100 additional local businesses.
Schultz Entertainment also hosted a cirque event which included a fire demonstration, high acrobatic acts on silk as well as a Cyr wheel act and juggling lessons.
For more information, please visit www.efslc.org.