Hewlett-Woodmere group hunts for funding

To help defray the costs of its fourth annual Arts Below Sunrise festival, the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools Endowment Fund is using a gofundme webpage to raise $12,000 and find sponsors for the event, which is scheduled for Sept. 27. As of press time, $1,485 had been pledged.
Arts Below Sunrise is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a closed section of Broadway, between the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, in Hewlett, and Irving Place, in Woodmere. The rain date is Oct. 18.
Sponsorships cover the costs of the festival — musicians; sound engineers; rented tables, chairs, stages and portable restrooms; posters, banners, signs, fliers and ads; and staff T-shirts. Sponsors are eligible for VIP tent access, free vendor space and names or logos displayed on event advertising and signage. Donations are tax-deductible, according to HWPSEF officials.
“The event will be held every year as long as we raise enough through sponsorships to cover the expenses,” said John Roblin, the fund’s chairman. “We have sponsorships for this year that are not reflected in the gofundme total. Next year’s event is not totally dependent on the gofundme total. In setting up the page, there had to be a goal amount listed. Anything we raise over the operating expenses will either be put into the general fund used for grants or, if requested by the sponsor, put toward next year’s event.”
The festival includes music, food, artists, dancers and vendors. Arts Below Sunrise is just one event the nonprofit HWPSEF organizes. Its main goal is to provide a continuing and sustainable source of support to enhance the learning experience of Hewlett-Woodmere public school students through projects and hands-on learning experiences.

In addition to the funding, many volunteers are also needed to help set up the event, coordinate activities and clean up afterward. “Given the name Arts Below Sunrise, we need plenty of artists and musicians to showcase their talent,” said Chenab Khakh, a Hewlett High School senior and a member of the district’s Youth Leadership Forum. “We need many volunteers to help run the event throughout the day, from running children’s games to keeping the streets clean. The Youth Leadership Forum focuses on organizing carnival games for children and the stage where student artists can perform. We also man a table that presents and sells produce from the local community garden learning center.”
The event aims to showcase local talent of all ages in music and dance, the visual arts, science and technology, said David Rifkind, vice chairman of the endowment fund’s board and a Hewlett High science teacher.
“Arts Below Sunrise is primarily the HWPSEF’s way of thanking the community for supporting our main fundraising events,” he said. “The HWPSEF, along with providing grant money for educational projects that are outside the scope of the regular budget, is a group committed to building community in Hewlett, Woodmere and our neighboring villages. We don’t use money that could be used for grants to fund Arts Below Sunrise.”
Several years ago, according to Rifkind, the community hosted a green market for one season. “To celebrate the market coming to town and the student focus on sustainable living practices, the students of Youth Leadership aligned with the HWPSEF and created a fall harvest festival,” he said. “After meeting with other community groups and individuals, the festival morphed into Arts Below Sunrise.”
It is through such events that the HWPSEF supports the school district and community, according to Khakh. “The members of the endowment fund listen to students first for overall community improvement and building,” he said. “The value the organization puts on student voices is what makes it so special and unique to our school.”
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/e34m2jpn. To learn more about HWPSEF, go to www.hwpsef.org/index.html.