(Publisher’s note: The amount of the original funding and match funding from Howdy Holmes of Chelsea Milling Company as originally published was incorrect. The amount has been corrected and that is reflected in the story. We apologize for the mistake.)
By Lisa Carolin
The Chelsea Education Foundation promised to announce a large grant at its fall fundraiser, and that’s exactly what happened on Oct. 4 at the Foundation’s Fall Fundraiser Breakfast at the Washington Education Center.
South Meadows Principal Stacie Battaglia, who was accompanied by a group of students from the school, talked about the goal to make the school’s “library” into a comfortable and inviting media center for students. Although an architect is leading the project, students at South Meadows were asked to draw their versions of what they’d like the media center to look like, and they were dispatched to each table at the fundraiser to share their ideas.
Fourth-grader Abby Krzysik’s drawing included a Lego space, a book worm corner, team tables, and a positive message board.
Attendees also heard from North Creek Elementary School Principal Kimberly Gillow along with second-grader Kayden Rehmann, who talked about a grant the school received in 2018 for a makerspace where students have the option of working in groups to create projects.
It was near the end of the breakfast that Marcus Kaemming, executive director of instruction, curriculum, and human resources for the Chelsea school district, reminded the many community members in attendance why they were there.
“Whatever field you’re in, your best investment is our children,” Kaemming said. “You are investing in the next set of Chelsea residents, the next great hope for our country.”
With that, envelopes were passed around each table to ask for donations for education-related projects for the 2018-19 school year.
Ninety cents of each dollar donated goes directly to the Chelsea School District, and during the breakfast, Howdy Holmes, CEO of the Chelsea Milling Company, announced that he would match funds of up to $9,000, tripling his original offer of $3,000.
Lynn Fox, president of the CEF, told the audience about some of the projects the Foundation has helped accomplish and said that funds raised at the breakfast will help to pay for furniture in South Meadows Elementary School’s media center.
The CEF board decided that it would like to go back to the Foundation’s original mission of funding only projects within the Chelsea School District.
