The trustees of the Vermilion Education Foundation held their 31st annual dinner on Tuesday, September 25, for the Vermilion Local Schools and St. Mary School of Vermilion. The evening was an amazing success raising over $33,000 for grants requested by the various educators within the district.
The Vermilion Education Foundation seeks to identify needs within the schools of Vermilion. The history of the foundation is unique. In 1986, with over 3,100 students, Vermilion schools were in fiscal emergency. Nine civically-minded community leaders took action and founded the Vermilion Education Foundation (VEF). Each founder helped raise $25,000 from community benefactors to be used for programs the school system could not provide. From this seed money, VEF grants helped provide: Fine Arts, Cultural Programs, Pay-to-Play Athletic opportunities, Community Awareness, and Facility Needs.
Since the first fund raising dinner in 1987, the VEF and patrons have invested more than $530,000 in learning opportunities for over 82,000 students.
Today the VEF responds to the economic dynamics of our community by continuing the tradition of the Annual Foundation Dinner. The need for enriching students is as great as ever. The foundation recognizes that to compete globally, our children need ongoing exposure to many various experiences. Our board follows 4 core pillars in the determination of funding grants, which are requested by the educators at the beginning of each school year. The foundation seeks to enhance the educational experience of children in Vermilion in these four key areas by funding programs beyond the traditional school budget. The four pillars are: Culture and Arts, Emotional and Social Growth, Character Growth, Academic Growth.
The Vermilion Education Foundation would like to extend many thanks to the original founders and to the many patrons who continue to support our endeavor. Whether it was the first time at our dinner, or repeat attendance at our annual event, we thank you them for making this annual fundraiser a success. It is our hope to create an awareness within the community of our purpose and to have each child in our district exposed to the greatest education possible. VEF was instituted with the children in mind and it remains just that, all about the children.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about VEF, or if you would like to make a donation that will have a lasting impact on the children within our community, please contact the foundation at: vef.legacy556@gmail.com
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