Cherry Brook, Canton Intermediate PTOs Working on Major Fundraiser

Submitted release

Cherry Brook Primary School and Canton Intermediate School Parent Teacher Organizations are hard at work on their joint Annual Winter Festival Auction and Gala, which will be held on March 3 at 41 Bridge Street in Collinsville. Local celebrity and Canton resident, Scot Haney will be Master of Ceremonies and will also conduct the Live Auction.

On Dec. 23, members of this year's Winter Festival Committee mailed over 400 letters to local, out-of-town and out-of-state businesses seeking donations of items to be auctioned off on their online, silent and live auctions. Volunteers will be calling local businesses this week to follow up and arrange pick up of donated items.

Last year’s event raised over $25,000 and the proceeds from this event went to help support students in grades Pre-K through Sixth.

Tracy Renaud, one of the co-chairs for the event, said the committee knows it's a tough time for donations. 

"We're just hoping to get somewhere close to that," she said. 

But businesses have been generous so far and donations are coming in from local, state and even out-of-state. Many attraction-type locales are offering tickets for example. 

Previous Winter Festivals have allowed for purchases of smart boards, document cameras, sound systems, science labs and other productivity tools to enhance the children’s learning experience.

Organizers anticipate that their profits from this year’s event will be used to provide classrooms with much needed supplies and equipment and to assist families with funding to allow their children to participate in school field trips and activities.

The festival committee is offering limited ad space on the event website for $100. The ads will be displayed on their online auction home page and will be seen each time a bidder comes to the site and will include a link to drive traffic to the website. The ad will also be featured prominently in the event brochure as well. Anyone interested in advertising can contact Marnie Hudnall at marniemerri@hotmail.com to discuss the details.

Those interesting in donating items or funds for the event can contact Tracy Renaud at (860) 693-3720 or mail donations to Tracy Renaud c/o Cherry Brook Primary School, 4 Barbourtown Road, Canton CT 06019. 

And from Feb. 17 to March 2, residents can bid on valuable donations at www.biddingforgood.com/cantonpto. And in a month or so, the Web site will also show the items that will be available for bid at the event itself. 

And Renaud said the gala is a fun way to support the schools — for parents of both schools and other residents of Canton and surrounding communities.

"We're all joining and working together," she said.