Foundation's Spring Fundraiser Passes $150K Mark

The final numbers are in and the brought in just over $150,000, a $38,000 increase over last year's impressive haul.
 
The highlight of the dinner/dance/auction event held last month at the Belmont Hill School – which was sold out for the fourth year running with 400 people attending – were eight live auction items that raised $33,000 (compared to last year where 16 items raised $30,000) with a dinner for 15 guests catered by Vicki Lee and Norman Fine taking in $6,200 as the top dollar donation.

A Fenway Park’s Green Monster experience at $5,100 and a dinner for 10 at il Casale which took in $4,000 were the next highest money makers.

Just as impressive, the on-line auction – which attracted bids from as far away as Texas, Florida Connecticut  and Idaho – netted $25,000 with items in the Home and Garden category raising $3,000 followed by dining and camps and clinics that took in two grand each. The final numbers were 1,444 bids placed by 203 bidders.
 
Newly introduction this year was, FUND a NEED, in which guests raised their hands when a dollar value was called to help support Belmont schools, raising $22,000 in just four minutes.

Business sponsors raised more than $24,000 as five main "Investor in Education Sponsors" – Belmont Orthodontics & Belmont Pediatric Dentistry, Belmont Savings Bank Foundation, East Cambridge Savings, Hammond Residential and Orthodontics of Cambridge – each donate $5,000 to the FBE.

It was a great night for everyone who attended but, more importantly, to the Belmont Schools and the countless number of students and staff who will use grants from the Foundation to further the educational experience in Belmont's public schools.