Rye Elementary School
Rye Junior High School
2009 SPRING COCKTAIL FUNDRAISER
The Rye Education Foundation's annual fundraiser was held
on Saturday, March 14, 2009 at the Abenaqui Country Club in
Rye. It was semi-formal and included a cocktail party,
dinner, silent and live auctions (trips, kids camps, luxury
items, jewelry, sporting events, etc.), a raffle game
(the first prize was a laptop!) and dancing.
The gala was attended by approximately 75 locals and earned
about $15,000 which will go to Rye's "One to One Laptop
Initiative." This initiative hopes to provide laptops
initially for the seventh graders at the Rye Jr. High, and
eventually to supply them for all three grades at the Jr.
High. This is critical technology for students as we enter
the future. We made great progress towards that goal with
this event - we hope to double that number next year!
(Left to right) Guests and Bidders Gianna Alden, Kathy
MacAlpine, Jill Lancaster,
Jen Shulman (REF Board member) and Cynde Lingamfelter
(President, REF)
participating in the Spring Cocktail Fundraiser's live
auction
ABOUT
THE RYE EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Rye Education Foundation (REF) was founded in 1995 in
Rye, New Hampshire by a group of Rye
residents and maintains a Permanent Endowment Fund.
Earnings from REF's endownment, managed by the Greater
Piscataqua Community Foundation, as part of the New
Hampshire Charitable Foundation, allows for the grants each
year.
The REF is dedicated to permanently supporting unique
educational opportunities for students at Rye Elementary
School and Rye Junior High School that fall outside the
resources of our school system's annual municipal budget.
The Foundation's Permanent Endowment Fund will ensure that
future generations of Rye students will have access to high
quality educational opportunities. The REF is a nonprofit
partnership between the schools, the citizens, and local
businesses and is governed by a Board of Directors and
assisted by many volunteer committee members. A volunteer
committee of REF Board members and non-Board members awards
grants twice a year - in the fall and in the spring. We can
always use help and welcome any volunteers from the served
communities of Rye and New Castle.
OUR MISSION
REF's mission is to fund grants through the REF endowment -
with the generosity of Rye residents and friends our
endowment is currently one million dollars. In addition, to
ensure every dollar of the endowment is used to fund
grants, the Board of Directors holds the Annual Rye Golf
Classic to raise funds to cover overhead expenses.
Remaining funds from the golf tournament are used for small
scholarships and sponsorships and for the Town of Rye.
Maintained by the
Gardella/Surprenant family.