February 13, 2017 - Gillespie IL
The winners at the "For the Love of Education" trivia night of 4 February were perennial participants led by Dennis Weiss of Mulberry Grove. The team, one of 24 participating in The Partnership for Educational Excellence’s annual fund raiser.
All proceeds from the jam-packed evening will be used in classroom mini-grants within Community Unit School District 7's (CUSD7) pre-K through 12th grade classrooms.
In a welcome synergy, the majority of the players that night were CUSD7 teachers and their families. In addition, five Gillespie Middle School eighth grade boys were volunteer runners. Since 1992 The Partnership has given almost $570,000 of donors’ contributions to CUSD7 schools to supplement curriculum
The second place team was led by Phil Cavaretto of rural Staunton. Third place went to the local Cordum-Tebbe team. All three winning teams donated back generously to The Partnership.
The evening was also the kickoff for The Partnership’s second annual Grand Raffle. The one-and-only grand prize will be $5,000 cash. The winner’s name will be drawn on Palm Sunday 9 April 2017.
An early-bird drawing on kickoff night netted $100 each for two attendees: Patty Shafer of Staunton and Brooke Buhs of Benld, who accepted for her mother Connie Wenzel.
Only 500 tickets will be sold. Tickets are $20 apiece and are available at Hicks Maytag on Macoupin Street in downtown Gillespie. Or they can be purchased from any Partnership director: Gail Cavallo, Judy Cordum, Rosie Emmenderfer, John Fassero, Jr., Nanci Grandone, Donna Prevedell, Katie Ronald, Carole Scheller, Rose Marie Tebbe, Don Throne, or Julie Zirkelbach.
The Partnership is an IRS-chartered 501(c)3, all volunteer, not-for-profit educational foundation which has also awarded nearly $200,000 in academic tuition scholarships for post-secondary education to graduates of Gillespie High School.
FIRST PLACE TEAM (L to R): Dennis Weiss, Rudy Elam, Rod Bergman, Glenn Burris, Chris Marten, Stacy Marten, Kathy Jones, Louise Weiss, Eric Schlauf, and Linda Wheelan
SECOND PLACE TEAM (L to R back row): Deanne Schultz, Rich Stillwell, Helen Stillwell, Nancy Campbell, Connie Cavaretto, Phil Cavaretto, Mark Meyer (In front) Tiffany Meyer
THIRD PLACE TEAM (L to R): Ralph Tebbe, Bruce Renison, Ken Cordum, Pete Stromsland, Tracy Renison, Susan Stromsland, Christy Blank, John Blank, Shelly Cordum, Terry Cordum
FIVE VOLUNTEER RUNNERS FROM GILLESPIE MIDDLE SCHOOL (L to R): Trenton Gill, Preston Kaylor, Anthony Ribes, Cameron Hailstone, and C.J. Frensko