Saturday, February 28, Laguna Beach: The good times were definitely rolling at SchoolPower's Annual Dinner Dance. Laguna school supporters were treated to a memorable evening thanks to the hard work of event chairs, Gwen Grierson and Stacey Spurlock, dedicated volunteers and committed staff, who brought a little bit of Mardi Gras to the Montage. With great thanks to the efforts of auction chairs Nancy Glenn and Cindy Landsiedel and the amazingly generous support of donors, this year's event took in approximately $190,000. Adding to the event's success was the “gratitude and sense of community...” of those in attendance, observed Robin Rounaghi, SchoolPower Vice President.

SchoolPower President Jeff Spurlock welcomed guests and Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Fraisse spoke of the progress Laguna Beach schools have made in providing students access to state of the art technology as a result of the “Simply Integrated” Fund-a-Need. “A three year fundraising effort to significantly upgrade classroom technology in LBUSD was brought to a successful conclusion Saturday…Community members enthusiastically responded…to raise the remaining $25,000 of a $439,000 target goal!” proclaimed Dr. Fraisse.

Thanks to SchoolPower Endowment's Large Grant of $65,000 and SchoolPower's Fund-a-Need, the technology initiative was completed ahead of schedule, and has taken Laguna's schools from the absolute bottom in terms of technology and lifted them right to the top when compared with other schools in Orange County. This program alone raised $39,000 with the Hearts of Montage leading the way with an extremely generous $10,000 donation (for a total of $25,000 from the Montage for the night). Chris Loidolt, Board Member of the Hearts of Montage, said she was “humbled by the generosity of the families in our school district.” And when the always exciting live auction began, the commitment to Laguna's schools was evident by the generosity of several Laguna families, like David and Holly Wilson, who bid twice on Fund-a-Need, along with the live auction.

Breathtaking homes in Aspen and Cabo San Lucas, once in a lifetime events at an Angel game, a BMW or Mini-Cooper courtesy of longtime supporter Crevier BMW, and a luxurious resort vacation thanks to Bill and Cindy Shopoff – these were just a few of the items that got people going in the live auction. Then it was time for The Kooks to turn the dining room into a dance party. Every chair was empty and the dance floor was packed as guests enjoyed the live music. In year's past the evening ended there. This year, however, guests were treated to a casino night. Black jack, roulette and craps tempted guests to try their luck. The highest roller, Jerry and Helen Hayden, won a Ladies Rolex watch, courtesy of Fredric H. Rubel Jewelers. The real winners were, of course, Laguna's schoolchildren.

To learn more about the “Simply Integrated” Fund–a-Need, to make a donation or to get involved with SchoolPower, please click here or call the SchoolPower office, 949-494-6811.

SchoolPower is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization whose mission is to enrich the education of all children in the Laguna Beach School District.

Press Contacts:
Samantha Washer (714) 318-8040 / washer.home@gte.net
Robin Rounaghi (949 413-3301 / robinr1@cox.net