‘Spring for Education’ Fundraiser Helps Close Funding Gap
Tickets are still available for the Castro Valley Educational Foundation (CVEF) "Spring for Education" annual fundraiser, taking place on May 5 at the Adobe Art Center.
Last year’s Spring for Education event raised $20,000 to support mental wellness programs for approximately 9,000 Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) students. The dinner and auction event evolved from the popular Dynamic Dinner.
CVEF is typically known to the Castro Valley school community as the organization that annually distributes scholarships to Seniors. The group also sponsors educational events that complement classroom instruction and provides grants for educational activities beyond the standard curriculum.
“Although our school district is fantastic – we have great teachers, instruction, and district support – funding for public schools continues to be challenging,” said Suresh Bhat, CVEF president and board member. “California’s funding per student is in the bottom 10 percent, so CVEF’s goal is to fund worthy educational programs to fill in the gaps across CVUSD schools.”
The Spring event is billed as “fun and fundraising” because attendees get to enjoy specialty food, desserts, and drinks while bidding on a variety of auction items through the silent and “highly entertaining” live auctions. This year, auction items will include sporting event tickets and memorabilia, vacation rentals, home decor, and design services. Auction items are donated by local vendors, service providers, and CVEF supporters. Sutter Health and Fremont Bank have donated items and are funding the event as Platinum and Diamond sponsors, respectively.
“The Spring for Education event is a great way to spend time with the CV community while supporting our students. I encourage everyone to attend, volunteer, or help sponsor the event,” said Bhat.
In addition to the Spring for Education event, CVEF manages multiple education-based programs, including the Scholarship Program (more than $120,000 being distributed to graduating students this year), Innovation Grants (more than $100,000 in funding since the program's inception), Friends of Education Award (recognizing contributors who enrich CVUSD), co-hosting events with other educational non-profits (such as scientific talks with CV Science and Wonderfest), and Partners in Education (a new program launching to better support school and PTA initiatives).
The Spring for Education festivities start at 6:00 p.m. and run until 9:00 p.m.
For more information on tickets, sponsorship, auction donations, and volunteer opportunities, visit the CVEF website (cvef.org) or email info@cvef.org.
