School News

It's all 'fore' the kids

Golf outing nets nearly $5K

Posted

The Valley Stream District 13 Educational Foundation held its second annual golf outing at the Lido Golf Club on July 1, in which the foundation raised nearly $5,000.

The event was broken into two sessions: a round of golf and a dinner. The first part included 18 holes with a golf cart, a continental breakfast, access to the driving range, a barbecue lunch, dessert, a shirt, a gift bag and a plate at dinner.

For those interested in helping the foundation but who did not want to golf, there was the option to only attend the dinner with a Chinese auction, where diners could purchase raffle tickets to place into bags in front of prizes. There were also prizes for the outing’s top golfers.

The raffle items ranged from a 32-inch flat screen television, to Calloway golf sets for a man and a woman, to a Keurig coffee maker. There were also gift cards to numerous restaurants and other shops in the area.

Toni Pomerantz, a member of the Board of Education and an organizer of the event, said that the foundation purchased the television and the golf sets, but the gift cards and other prizes were mostly donations.

According to Pomerantz, there were 44 golfers and about 90 diners, similar numbers to last year, but the total money raised — $4,939 — eclipsed the first outing’s numbers by more than $400.

“It’s a chance for all four schools get together,” she said. “Former board members, former superintendents, present board members and present superintendents attend, so it’s a smattering of everyone.”

Danielle Vitulli, the foundation’s president, said she was thankful for the effort from the committee to put the event together. Pomerantz, Patty Farrell, District 13’s newest board member, and Emilie Stris, the foundation’s former president, put in countless hours of work to organize the event.

“They did a great job,” Vitulli said. “They worked really hard on this event.”

Farrell, who was sworn in as a board member on July 7, said that she thought the event was a success, but would like to see more people take part in it.

“We’d always love to see more participation,” she said, “but we’re very thankful for what we have here and the fact that these people support us.”

All of the money will go back to District 13 schools. In the past, the foundation has purchased technology equipment, given scholarships to graduating sixth-graders and bought school supplies for needy students.

Pomerantz said that she was happy with the “fruits of her labor,” after starting to plan the event as early as December.

“It’s been a long, hard day, but it’s worth it,” she said. “It’s for the kids. It all comes back to the kids in District 13 in all four buildings.”