Fun at the First Steps Fundraiser
Klager Elementary teacher, Miss Yekulis, welcomed everyone to Manchester First Steps 3rd Annual Pasta Dinner and Silent Auction Saturday night in the High School Commons. This was Yekulis’s 3rd year of volunteering for the event.
Christy Taylor, auction donor and First Steps supporter, and family. Taylor’s children, all now in elementary school, participated in First Steps in the past.
Pam Wiseman sells one of 52 cards to Kathleen Lixey, director of Special Education for Manchester Community Schools. At the end of the night a card was drawn and the winner took home a Kindle Fire.
Dylan Hammond and Trent Line, both First Steps graduates, have fun coloring in the kids corner.
Aaron Bushaw, Deb Line and Jessica Bushaw, all current First Steps parents, served over 200 pasta dinners. The pasta, sauce and homemade ranch dressing were donated by Frank’s Place.
Serious deliberation over what to bid…
Kathleen Lixey manning the Dessert by Donation/ bake sale table.
Katie Marsh, teacher at the Manchester Co-op Preschool, browsing auction baskets. The Co-op Preschool has a large silent auction coming up in a month.
This basket sold for $100 and should provide ample entertain for the family who won it.
a few of the fundraiser organizers hard at work
Preparing for the silent auction check-out necessitated a lot of co-ordinating.
ready for bidding to begin
one of the Manchester-themed baskets
Stephanie Celkis purchasing box raffle tickets
The event was well attended. In fact, additional tables had to be added.
Aileen Pagan-Rowher, director of Cultural Art Strings, leads CAS students in a short set after the silent auction closed.
In addition to volunteering entertainment for the night, CAS donated a scholarship to their upcoming summer camp, for the silent auction.
Katie Marsh and Renee St. Charles. Both had children go through the First Steps program.
Henry, age 4, hanging on his mom while she serves salad.
Annabelle Celkis deciding which box raffle items to use her tickets on.
Pat Valliencourt and Anita Herman reading through auction basket descriptions
Amy Prey, selling raffle tickets, and Kristen Hancock – both special ed teachers in the school system – volunteered to help at the event.
Beckie Brewis, First Steps certified early childhood education specialist. When asked about the night Brewis responded “I was so amazed by the great turnout! It seemed that there were folks from across the community–not just our First Steps families, with their friends and families. We believe we served over 200 meals. At times we worried that we wouldn’t have places for attendees to sit! I so appreciate the hard work of the planning committee and our volunteers. It was obvious in the success of the night. I also wish to thank the Cultural Art Strings for performing while we closed out the auction. I thought it was great addition to the night.”
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