Festival of Tables coming soon

By Bruce Wm. Brown

A most grand celebration is scheduled for next month at Heritage School, and the community is invited. Saturday, March 24 the Stockbridge Area Educational Foundation will host its 15^th Annual Festival of Tables, a popular event whose proceeds are invested back into the community through scholarships and educational grants.

The event, which begins at 6:00 p.m., features a heated table decorating competition, a mouth-watering buffet, and two entertaining auctions.

The Festival of Tables is the Foundation’s sole fundraiser for the year. To ensure all runs smoothly and attendees have a great time, members have been meeting since last November to plan and organize.

Support from the community has been remarkable. Over the past 15 years, attendance at the event has been strong and consistent. In addition, community businesses and individuals have continued to generously donate attractive and interesting items for the live and silent auctions.

The Stockbridge High School Jazz Band is slated to kick off the evening’s reception. While the band plays, attendees will enjoy a strolling buffet, visit with friends, and study elaborately decorated tables in preparation to vote for their favorites. The live auction features entertainment, dining, sports packages, vacation getaways, artwork, custom jewelry and more. A list of auction items will be available before the event on the Foundation website, http://panthernet.net/district/saef/.

This year’s main raffle prize is $500 cash with $200 cash for second prize and $100 for third. Winners whose raffle tickets are drawn that night need not be present to win. Tickets are sold throughout the evening at the event and are also available in advance from Foundation members and at all school offices.

While donations for the auctions have been consistently generous, more auction items will make the Festival of Tables even more entertaining. To donate an auction item or provide a tax-deductible donation in support of the Foundation’s educational mission, please contact Foundation president Jennifer M. Hammerberg, 517-596-3246. To make a table reservation at the 15th Festival of Tables, please contact Chuck Wisman, 517-851-8087.

Stockbridge Lionesses and Lions, 2017 First Place Decorated Table: L-R: Amy Cattrell, Fred Cattrell, Andrea Stickney, Jan Clark, Vicki Woolcock, Gordie Kunzelman, Cathie Snider, Mike St. Dennis, Bill Stickney, Kathryn Snider, Nancy Ocweija, Norm Landis, Merelyn Snider, Kathleen Mullins, Roberta Ludtke, Gary Ludtke, Jennifer Grumelot, and Bob Busby.