DICKSON CITY — The Abington Heights Middle School PTA offered parents of students a night out to meet and mingle during the school’s Winter Soiree, the annual Parents’ Night Out fundraiser. Parents enjoyed a dinner at Nosh on Jan. 25 with the opportunity to win six silent auction packages and raffle baskets of higher value than previous years. This was also the first year the event offered music by a DJ.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for parents to mingle out of the school environment,” said Julia Papellas, chair of the soiree who solicited donations with co-chair Candace McColligan. “It funds so many programs for the middle school.”
Melissa Riviere was the marketing design chair of this event and parents of students helped with donations and decorations. Over 66 businesses and individuals donated over $6,300 of goods and services that were raffled during the event.
“This has been going on for seven years,” said Jennifer Bachan-Breiten, vice president of the PTA and marketplace chairperson of the soiree committee. “I’ve been on the committee since the beginning. Needless to say, I love it.”
The Abington Heights Middle School PTA hopes to meet the goal of $5,000, which is planned to benefit the school and its students. It is a non-profit organization which supports 1,200 student from grades five to eight with nearly $25,000 funding student programs throughout the year. Parents attend this event to help raise funds for other students, as well as for their own.
“I love this event,” said Mary Kay Lenahan, whose three sons attend the middle school. “I very much look forward to it.”
Her oldest son Jake, who is in eighth grade, is a member of the Enrichment program which is planning a field trip to Washington DC, in which almost 23% of the money is earned by eighth-grade specific fundraising events.
Jake’s younger twin brothers Mason and Ryland are part of the music program. Ten percent of the funds goes to the Enrichment program and the music program.
Lenahan sat with fellow parent Melissa Galanakis, whose son Yanni will also benefit from the music program for he plays the saxophone.
“This is a wonderful event,” said Galanakis. “It brings our community together and supports the school. I look forward to it every year.”
Norina VanSickle’s son Chance now attends Abington Heights High School. Chance spends half of his semester at the high school, where he plays volleyball, and the other half at Johnson College, where he tudies carpentry. VanSickle attends the winter soiree every year.
“I come every year,” she said. “It’s a fantastic fundraiser.”
Other school programs the soiree funds are the Reflections program, a national art program; the STEAM Fair (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics); Movie Night, Family Fun Night, Veterans Day Brunch and the Staff Appreciation Brunch.
Committee programs include the bi-annual play and a scholarship for a high school student. The PTA also aids classrooms by donating books, tools and other materials to support teachers and students. It holds book fairs to provide the school’s library with over 1,000 new books and funded a $2,000 water fountain in the library. It projects to spend $3,000 on the Abington Angels program, offering assistance to students and families in need.
The Winter Soiree has 13 generous sponsors who, together, have contributed nearly $2,200 to sustain the programs.
The soiree was also attended by Erin Osterhout, who started this event seven years ago when she was president of the PTA. Assistant principal Patrick McGarry and principal Colleen Leonard were also at the event.
“The PTA provides for the kids at every level,” said McGarry.
“We couldn’t do half of the things for the students without the support of the PTA,” added Leonard.
