HUNTINGTON – Gateway Regional’s grant writer and community relations coordinator, Wendy Long, took advantage of a light agenda in between joint budget discussions with member towns to catch the School Committee up on activities of the Gateway Education Foundation.
The Gateway Education Foundation (GEF) is a not-for-profit organization that formed in 2012 to enhance the educational opportunities for students of the Gateway Regional School District. To date, 61 projects totaling $37,500 have been funded by the Foundation.
Long said the GEF Board met on Monday night and approved eleven applications totaling $7,505, the most ever at a meeting. She said they were able to fund them all thanks in part to a $4,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts raised during Valley Gives day. She said many of the programs have been funded in the past, and others, including a xylophone project to teach music to grades K-5 are new. Long said the complete list of projects and awards will be announced next week.
Jeff Penn performs at the Shipman Memorial Concert in 2016.
Long also announced the second annual Homecoming Weekend is coming up on October 12-15, which will benefit in part the GEF. Activities will begin on Thursday evening, October 12, when the Chester Common Table will donate 15% of dinner proceeds to the GEF.
On Friday, October 13, the annual Shipman Memorial Concert to raise funds for upgrades to the auditorium will be held. Long said many returning acts of alumni, retirees, staff and students will perform, along with alumni who haven’t played on the Gateway stage since graduating. Admission is $5 for students, senior citizens; $7 for adults; 6:30 p.m. in the Gateway Performing Arts Center. The GEF manages the Shipman Memorial Fund.
On Saturday morning, October 14, there will be a 5K DAM RUN on the new Gateway Cross Country Course at Littleville Dam. Runners should meet in the Gateway parking lot at 8:30 a.m. to register; the run starts at 9 a.m. This will be a timed race and is a community service project of the Boys Cross-Country Team. There is no cost to run–but donations will be collected for the GEF.
A guided kayak tour of Littleville Lake on Sat., Oct. 14 will be part of the Gateway Homecoming Weekend.
Following the Dam Run on Saturday, the High School’s Outdoor Club will hold a Guided Kayak Tour of Littleville Lake from noon to 2 p.m. Huntington Architect and Outdoor Club co-founder Jeff Penn (GRHS ’80) will lead the tour and explain about the history of Littleville (what exactly IS under all of that water?). Bring your own kayak; suggested donation is $10 and benefits the Gateway Outdoor Club. Assemble and register at 11:45 a.m. at the Littleville boat launch.
At the same time, Soccer Saturday kicks off with back-to-back high school soccer games against Easthampton High School on Booster Field, beginning at noon. The Boys and Girls Soccer Teams will be completing their community service projects that day, with collections of non-perishable food AND hats & mittens at Booster Field that day. Game schedule is: Boys JV at noon; Boys Varsity at 2 p.m.; Girls JV at 4; Girls Varsity at 6 p.m., culminating in the Annual Alumni Soccer Game under the lights at 7:30 p.m. The Gator Shack will be open for those hankering for “Gator Tators.” Admission will be $2 for students, senior citizens; $4 for adults, and free admission for any alumni playing in the Alumni Game.
Sunday, October 15 is the closing lunch for Homecoming Weekend at the newly opened Comfort Kitchen and Bar at 4 Main Street in Huntington. 10% of lunch proceeds between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. will be donated to the GEF.
The GEF website talks about the continuous declines in state funding and a shrinking budget due to declining enrollment, the withdrawal of the town of Worthington, and long-term state and national fiscal constraints. GEF funds need to be raised to enhance the educational opportunities for Gateway students, according to the statement.
