ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GALA 2019 A Night at the Derby TOTAL GALA PROCEEDS:
54,777€ Though technically in the Bois de Boulogne, once inside the clubhouse of the exclusive Polo Club de Paris, guests could very well have been in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday of May. Elegantly dressed Gala-goers sported fabulous hats and fascinators, sipped mint juleps, and enjoyed the excitement of actual Derby races (albeit recordings of past contests). Our 2019 fundraising gala, A Night at the Derby, was an elegant celebration that brought together our entire community, including parents, faculty and staff, and students, for a sophisticated and very successful evening of fundraising. The Raise the Paddle session was the most profitable ever, garnering over 26,000€. The online auction also broke records, raising over 13,600€ and featuring over 200 items in its catalogue. Beccy Haugen once again outdid herself, creating a “community” masterpiece for the live auction which involved every one of our Lower School students. Teachers Alice Lamy, Skye MacKenzie, and Caitlin Echasseriau also produced beautiful artwork for auction with their students. Thank you to the Night at the Derby Gala committee: Fabienne Aschenbroich, Katie Buhr, Agnès Catton, Jennifer Dalrymple, Margaret Jenkins, Kyungmee Jeong, Alice Joussellin, Kimberly Mock, Kim Murphy, Annie Pedersen, Sabine Sayag, Hélène Sobral, Pauline Warneck and Mandana Zavosh, for organizing such an extraordinary evening. Thank you as well to the team of twenty student volunteers whose efficient presence was essential to the smooth running of the event. American Section Co-Directors,
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Adrienne Covington and Mike Whitacre, joined forces with parent Jonathan Marsh in the role of auctioneer, adroitly running an exciting (and very profitable) live auction, while Lycée French teacher Eléonore Langelier and her band, Caravan, provided jazzy musical entertainment. Thank you as well to the many members of our community who made or solicited auction donations, as well as to our numerous commercial sponsors. The funds raised at the Gala and through our Annual Fund allow us to invest in programs and projects that tuition does not cover, including classroom technology, financial aid, global citizenship endeavors, and the classroom renovation project. Every euro raised directly benefits our students. On their behalf, we thank everyone who took part in this significant fundraising event!