The Music of the Night Called

By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY

Staff Writer

 

The Rim of the World Educational Foundation had put out the call for folks to attend their Phantom’s Masquerade Ball and the community responded. Most guests arrived at the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa sporting masks; there were masks available for those who did not have one but wanted to join in the fun.

The annual gala raises funds for the three programs Rim Ed supports in the Rim of the World Unified School District: AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), CTE (Career Technical Education) and School Partnership awards.

As guests arrived, they enjoyed appetizers in the ballroom foyer while they listened to the music of Destiny Love and her band. They were also entertained by magician Greg Van Holsbeck who has headlined at the Tudor House and performed at the Magic Castle. He amazed everyone with his close-up magic tricks with cards and coins.

The guests marveled at the décor, designed by former Rim Ed board member Laura Sharp. There were murals and posters depicting scenes from Phantom of the Opera, as well as multiple candelabra. There was even a program on display from the original Broadway performance of Phantom of the Opera.

As attendees made their way into the ballroom, they found more than two dozen silent auction items from 49 donors just waiting for their bids. Projected on the screens were the promotional ads designed by Rita Spiegel for those silent auction items. They showed the Phantom enjoying himself at those businesses.

Just before the buffet opened, Steve Valentine’s Ballroom Burn dancers performed a “Masquerade Mashup,” which drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was a video made by Hake Productions about the programs Rim Ed supports and how they make a difference for the teachers and students in the Rim schools. These programs impact students not only during their school years but will also positively affect their futures with higher education opportunities and opportunities many of the students had not imagined.

Each year Rim Ed invites students to share how the AVID program and CTE classes have impacted them. Prior to introducing this year’s students, Rim Ed board member Jim Ferranti shared that a female student who spoke at the gala last year after taking four years of welding in the CTE program at Rim High was selected upon graduation to attend a specialized advanced welding program and now has been hired by Space X.

Because the gala took place on the same night at the Rim High prom, AVID student Alina Pursche shared the impact the program has made on her through a video. She plans to attend UC Irvine, something she said would not have been possible without AVID. “AVID helped me raise my standards for myself,” she said.

Ferranti then introduced sophomore Madilyn Kasaboski, who is enrolled in both the Welding and Emergency Medical Responder CTE classes. She told the gala guests that she has known since eighth grade that she wants to be a flight nurse in the Navy. “I am learning hands-on how to save a life,” she said.

Teacher Nora Ortega, the AVID coordinator at Rim High, shared slides of the AVID juniors on their five-day college tour. The students are given the opportunity, with the help of Rim Ed, to tour 12 colleges. Several of those students shared their experience in notes that were displayed at the gala:

“Thank you for this once in a lifetime trip. I wish I could relive that week every day.”

“Thank you, Rim Ed Foundation, for giving us this amazing and unforgettable experience. It was super fun and really gave me a bit of insight as to what my life could be.”

“Thank you, Rim Ed, for giving us this opportunity to see colleges and a view of college life! I can’t wait to start my journey!”

“Thank you for changing my life.”

And then it was time for the evening’s reverse auction. Ferranti explained he was starting the bidding at $85,000 as that is the amount Rim Ed needs to raise each year for the support they offer to the three programs.

The first bid came in at $10,000 from Burrtec Industries, represented by Division Manager Alfonso Arias. Several bids then came in for $1,000, $500 and $100.

As the evening drew to a close, Mary-Justine Lanyon, Rim Ed vice president and the event’s hostess, shared that Rim Ed was founded in 1983 and gained its nonprofit status in 1987. Since 2010, the nonprofit has donated more than $840,000 to the Rim schools, a statistic that drew applause from the guests. Last year, Rim Ed donated $114,468 to the school district.

Board member Priscilla Williams then presented trophies to the guests sporting the Best Mask, Funniest Mask and Most Mysterious Mask.

The guests who had bid during the reserve auction or who had won silent auction items then checked out. It is not too late to make a donation that will make a difference in a Rim student’s life. To do so and for more information on Rim Ed and the programs they support, visit rimedfoundation.org.