Pencil in the 18th Annual LCEF Gala & Auction on November 1

We invite you to join us at the 18th Annual LCEF Gala and Auction on Thursday, November 1, 2018 at the Gateway Center of the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. With over 330 dedicated attendees joining us last year, we are excited to once again take on the challenge of making this our most successful event to-date!

Sponsorship & Ticket Purchasing Process

Gala sponsors and attendees truly are the cornerstones of making this annual event a resounding success year over year. In an effort to further streamline sponsorship of the LCEF Gala & Auction, we’ve launched a new online process. Becoming a sponsor is as simple as accessing our sponsor page and selecting from the six levels of sponsorship the one that is right for you. Details related to each level can be found on the page. Once you’ve landed on a sponsorship level, click the image accompanying each level to click through to the cart. From the drop-down, select the quantity of sponsorships or individual tickets you’d like to purchase and select, “add to cart.” You’ll then be redirected to enter in basic contact information and the names of those seated at your table, if applicable. If you don’t yet know who will be seated at your table, you can always add that information later via this form. Once you’ve added your sponsorship package, (or packages!) or tickets to your cart, you’ll see the cart in the top right corner of the page, select it to complete the checkout process. You’ll be asked to populate payment information and review your order details before purchasing.

Get Involved

Beyond attending the gala, there are many high-impact opportunities to get involved in the planning of the gala. We are in the process of collecting items and experiences to round out our silent and live auction offerings and welcome in-kind donations, large and small! Donating gala items is as simple as clicking here and providing basic donation-related information. Remember, our volunteers are able to pick up donated items from donors. For those willing to roll up their sleeves, opportunities to volunteer in the days leading up to, and on the day of, the program abound!

We can’t wait to see you all on Thursday, November 1!

Fundraising Fuels Healthy Competition on the Green

On Monday, June 4 we held our Annual Lake Cities Memorial Golf Tournament at the Oakmont Country Club. In its 17th year, the tournament is a cornerstone of our fundraising efforts. It serves as an opportunity to bring our supporters together and raise considerable funding for deserving students and teachers in our school district.

Featuring 168 golfers split between two flights, this was our most successful tournament to-date! Raising $50,000, four-person teams truly had a blast out on the green.

The day kicked off bright and early at 8 a.m. with a shotgun start for the first of two flights. The competitive spirit among our supporters was strong as they duked it out for low gross team, longest drive, closest to the pin and Hole in One. While everyone played a great game, we have to take a moment to spotlight the winners of this year’s Memorial Golf Tournament.

Morning Flight Winners

1st place - Global Spheres

Golfers: George Slack, Alex Parker, Brian Lohse, John Mark Pierce

2nd place - Huffines Lewisville

Golfers: Fred Whitfield, Katie Harris, Scott Spiegel, Steve Kloza

3rd place – NCTC

Golfers: Roy Culberson, Kerry Goree, Reggie Hill, Anthony Blackmon

Afternoon Flight Winners 

1st place - Malcom Family

Golfers: Rance, Marcie, Konner, and Hannah Malcom

2nd place - Integrity Chemical
 

Golfers: Cody Lane, Barry Mitchell, Blake Ortowske, Jimmy Schaefer

3rd place - Explore USA

Golfers: Chris Schiele, Doug Richards, Mike Marsh, Mark Stewart

This full day of healthy competition would not be possible without the support of our generous sponsors, dedicated players and the unparalleled volunteer team. It’s hard to adequately express how thankful we are to all those that joined us and supported us from afar, we look forward to seeing you all once again next year!

Over $45K in Scholarships Awarded to 25 Well-Deserving Students

Eighteen years after its first Rosecutting, the Lake Cities Education Foundation proudly presented $45,500 in scholarship funding to 25-well deserving members of the class of 2018. For the first time in LCEF history, grant recipients were also presented with honor cords. The green and white cords of Lake Dallas High School were intertwined with a blue cord representing Lake Cities Education Foundation. This post will highlight the generous scholarships received by hard working students in our community.            

The Tonya Lyons Monden Future Educator Scholarship was presented by Tonya and Randy Monden and Tonya’s brother, Terry Lyons. It was awarded to Lyons—Baylee Campbell, Livia Dvoracek, and Tori Landrum, at $1,500 each. The $1,000 Kent E. Gladen Memorial Scholarship, was presented by Debbie Gladen and her sons Sam, Miles, and Tommy to Bailey Dolezalek. Carrie Thomas, who serves as the CoServ Community Relations Senior Specialist, presented the $1,000 CoServ Charitable Foundation Scholarship to Jared Mayfield.

The $500 Lake Dallas High School Quarterback Club Scholarship, awarded in Honor of Coach Kent Gladen, was presented Robert Venegas. Sarah Dunn received the $500 CoServ Electric Endowed Scholarship. Mariyah James was awarded a $500 Lake Cities Chamber of Commerce Endowed Scholarship. Four recipients were granted $500 Lake Cities Education Foundation BOD Scholarships, Brandie Brown, Mallory Klingele, Daniela Martinez, and  Adelyn Smith.

Established 5 years ago in honor of generous and long-time LCEF supporter, George Halley, The George Halley Memorial Endowed Scholarship was presented to Morgan Helixon in the amount of $500. Kara Chidester was the proud recipient of the $500 Corinth Elementary PTA and LDHS PTSA Scholarship, granted in honor of the LDISD Board of Trustees. The $500 Lake Cities Lions Club Scholarship was received by Natalie Price. Blake Henson received a $600 Oakmont Men’s Golf Association Endowed Scholarship.

Established in memory of Matt Webb, a 1998 Lake Dallas High School graduate who was killed in a tragic tanker truck accident in November of 2007, the $600 Matthew Webb Memorial Endowment was given to Hannah Salas. Carleigh Engel was the recipient of a $700 Sawko & Burrows Endowed Scholarship. The Jason Powell Memorial Endowed Scholarship, established by the family and friends of Lake Dallas High School graduate Jason Powell, was received by Zachary Sasser in the amount of $1,000.

Ryan Villareal received the $1,000 Century Link Endowed Scholarship. The Lake Cities Directors Endowed Scholarship, an endowment established by the LCEF Board of Directors from the proceeds of the annual golf tournament was awarded to Maggie Kelley in the amount of $2,000. The Tyler Morse Memorial Endowed Scholarship was established by family and friends to honor musician and 2004 graduate of Lake Dallas High School, Tyler Morse. Thomas Bergeron received the $1,600 scholarship.

Walker Weber received the $6,000 Louis B. Drozd, Jr., Memorial Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship was established by family and friends of longtime Lake Dallas resident and business owner, Louis B. Drozd, Jr. Mr. Drozd served on the Lake Dallas ISD Board of Trustees for over 17 years.

The Nicholas Hibberd Memorial Endowed Scholarship was established by family and friends to honor 1997 Lake Dallas High School Graduate, Nicholas Hibberd, whose life was cut tragically short in December of 2002 in an aviation accident. In 2003, the LCEF Golf Tournament was renamed the Nicholas Hibberd Memorial Tournament, in memory of Nicholas. The LCEF tournament has continued to add to this endowment. In his honor and memory, the Nicholas Hibberd Memorial Endowed Scholarship in the amount of $9,000 was awarded to Greelie Bauman.

Former Board Member Bruce Martin presented the final scholarship of the evening, the $12,000 CW2 Christopher Chabot Martin Memorial Endowed Scholarship to Abbey Harrison.

CoServ STEM Grant Recipient Lake Dallas Elementary School Announced

Lake Cities Education Foundation is thrilled to announce our CoServ STEM Grant recipient, Lake Dallas Elementary School. Led by Katie Landaverde, the $4,000 grant will be used to fund an outdoor science classroom for students.

To be launched in the fall of 2018, students will be designing and building a school garden in Lake Dallas Elementary’s playground area. Creating enriching learning opportunities in the outdoors, the garden will serve as an outdoor science classroom. Focused on facilitating hands-on learning, the garden will pave a unique path to student engagement in the sciences. The garden will further benefit elementary-aged students by fostering experiential learning and promoting interpersonal relationships among students as they are inspired to think creatively and work together.

This inclusive undertaking will involve students of every grade level, which each grade and department managing their own plot of land. Their level of involvement in the garden will appropriately meet grade-appropriate Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards. The outdoor science garden offers a chance to provide instruction differentiated to meet the specific needs of individual students.

Other programs such as Parent Ed, GT, STEM Club, and Rather Project workshops will also be invited to participate in the creation of the garden, which will simultaneously present opportunities to boost community and parent involvement. Apart from teacher-led direction instruction, students will also be encouraged to explore and manipulate physical materials. A key underlying objective of the CoServ grant recipient is to actively tackle the existing science achievement gap through this unique program. The hands-on methodology behind this project will be especially beneficial for students who are tactile or kinesthetic learners.

We are thrilled to be supporting such an impactful project as we continue to fund grants and scholarships for Lake Dallas Independent School District students and teachers.

Join Us at our 17th Annual Lake Cities Memorial Golf Tournament

For the 17th year, we are hosting our Annual Lake Cities Memorial Golf Tournament. With Tom Davenport at the helm as Chairman and the CMI Group involved as the signature sponsor, this year’s tournament is set to be our most successful yet! Since its inception, the annual tournament has raised over $430k to fund grants and scholarships for Lake Dallas Independent School District students and teachers. Year over year, the tournament has grown in size as supporters continue to fill the green, the 2017 tournament featured over 170 golfers!

You’re invited to join us at Oakmont Country Club on Monday, June 4, 2018 to join in on the fun. Once again, the tournament will feature two flights, the first commencing with a shot gun start at 8 a.m. and the second kicking off at 1:30 p.m. Following a four-person modified scramble format, we will be fueling the competition with awards given for the low gross team, longest drive, closest to the pin and Hole in One, to name a few. The Hole in One winner will win a brand new, 2018 automobile! Register yourself or your team by visiting the LCEF golf tournament website today.

Not interested in joining us as a player on the green? We’re actively recruiting volunteers for what is sure to be a day packed with mission-drive fun. You can also participate by exploring sponsorship opportunities, making a charitable in-kind donation and promoting this exciting event amongst your golf-savvy friends. More detailed information on these opportunities can be found on the LCEF golf tournament website.

The Oakmont Country Club is located a 1200 Clubhouse Drive in Corinth, Texas. We hope to see you on the green at the 17th Annual Lake Cities Memorial Golf Tournament!

Grantee Honors LCEF Board of Directors with Lunch

Students from the Corinth Elementary Kids2Chef program recently impressed Lake Cities Education Foundation Board Members with an incredible hand-made lunch.  The elementary-aged children had spent considerable time planning an elaborate meal to express their appreciation for funding a grant that their teachers, Cindy Medlicott and Anne Waidelich, had written to provide materials for their after-school program. The Board could not have been more appreciative of the time they had put in to pulling off such a thoughtful surprise.

From the place setting to the food, no detail was overlooked by the dedicated students from Corinth Elementary. They had prepared a healthy and well-balanced meal that included a nutritious salad, and a lunch including a starch, protein, and vegetable. The meal even included a delicious dessert.

The $5,000 grant awarded to the Corinth Elementary Kids2Chef program will support them in purchasing necessary ingredients and supplies needed for their upcoming cooking competition. By actively engaging children in the cooking process, their participation in the program will open up many learning opportunities and has the potential to impact them long-term. They will learn about nutritional food choices, a variety of cultures and the vast benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Their exposure to such valuable concepts will help lay a foundation from which they can establish health-conscious behaviors with a positive impact on their health and wellness.

Cindy Medlicott and Anne Waidelich are serving as directors of the grant at the elementary school located in Corinth, Texas. This grant is one of several grants we have granted to Corinth Elementary. LCEF is supporting other initiatives at the school including the Corinth Elementary Life Lab, the Corinth Art Room Library and the Corinth Makerspace Book Zone. We have no doubt that all of these programs will be a success and an enrichment opportunity for the students at Corinth Elementary.

LCEF Awards $25,000 in Grants for 2017-2018

In follow up to our first blog post announcing the grants Lake Cities Education Foundation awarded for 2017-2018, we’ve rounded up a few more on how our grantees will use their new grants. Each of the grants described below is making a big impact for students and staff throughout Dallas.
 

Makerspace Book Zone

Corinth Elementary library will feature a new Makerspace Book Zone as a result of a $4,861 grant enabling the school to purchase new books and materials for its students. This unique space will present exciting opportunities for students to explore hands-on learning and creating while continuing to develop their problem-solving skills and self-directed learning. This grant is directed by the school librarian, Sharon Simon.

Art Room Library

Led by Shirley Frase, the art lab at Corinth Elementary will soon be home to a series of books offering students insight on artists and art techniques. A grant in the amount of $861 will provide funding for a curated art library, opening up opportunities for elementary school students to learn and research art beyond their scheduled classroom time.

Kid 2 Chef Competition Teams

Students in the Kid 2 Chef Competition Teams will use a grant of $2,463 to purchase the supplies and ingredients they need to prepare for their cooking competition. Through participation in the club, they have an opportunity to learn about different cultures, nutritional food choices, and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, all in a cooperative learning environment. This grant is directed by Cindy Medlicott and Anne Waidelich.

Train to Save Lake Dallas High

Led by Lake Dallas High School Health Services Coordinator Daine Ramirez, this $2,472 grant will be used to purchase new equipment for existing CPR courses offered to students and staff. The new equipment is a key component to enhancing Lake Dallas High’s cardiac emergency response plan as they strive to become recognized as a Project Adam Texas Heart Safe designated school. Bolstering the number of staff and students certified in CPR is a big benefit both to the school and the local community.

Train to Save Lake Dallas Elementary

A $2,403 grant awarded to Lake Dallas Elementary School will be used to implement a school-wide video broadcast system. Led by Technology Integration Specialist Katie Landaverde, the new technology will help enhance student’s aptitude in technology, media, film, videography and speaking.

Lake Cities Education Foundation if proud to continue furthering our mission of enhancing educational opportunities in our community.

LCEF Awards $25,000 in Grants for 2017-2018

In reflecting on the grants Lake Cities Education Foundation awarded for 2017-2018, we are thrilled to support existing and newly-launched educational initiatives throughout our community. We have awarded a total of $25,000 and will be sharing the stories behind the figures in our next two blog posts.

Drug Buster

Lake Dallas High School has been selected as a recipient of a $996 grant to fund a pair of goggles designed to simulate being drug impaired. These “drug impaired” goggles will provide students the first-hand opportunity to understand the considerable impacts drugs have on an individual’s motor skills and reaction time. The program sheds light on the dangers of driving under the influence and performing routine tasks when drug impaired. Health teacher Aaron Walterscheid secured this for the school and will serve as its director.

Classroom Ergonomics in the Special Education Environment

Secured by special education math teachers Kenneth Imy and Sonia Foutch, this $2,478 grant will support both teachers in designing an ergonomic classroom. By cultivating a classroom environment that removes physical hindrances and addresses the specific needs of their students, Kenneth and Sonia will more effectively maintain engagement and focus in the classroom.

Innovative and Engaging Instruction for Students with Academic, Physical, Social or Emotional Needs

With an emphasis on the importance of physical activity for an individual’s health, LDISD Adapted PE Instructor Riley Caughlin secured a $1,000 LCEF grant to support disabled students in a unique way. Mr. Caughlin will use this grant to teach fly fishing to students with academic, physical, social or emotional needs. Learning this activity will aid students in their development of academic, physical, social and emotional skills. The underlying hope is that the development of this new skill will impart in the students an appreciation for healthy leisure activities.

Corinth Elementary Life Lab (CELL)

A $5,000 grant will be used to fund CELL, a vegetable garden at Corinth Elementary School. By building, planting and tending this garden, students will develop math, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. They will learn about the life sciences through hands-on, involved instruction. The garden will have far-reaching influence at the school as it will also be used for language arts and social studies lesson. This grant will be directed by teachers Lynn Downs and Suzanne Murray, Technology Integration Specialist Michelle Richey and Assistant Principal Kerri Blevins.

Career and Technical Education/ Public Services Blended Classroom

Recognizing the relevance of leveraging technology in today’s world, a $2,463 grant was secured by Lake Dallas High School Teacher Jimmy Moore to fund Chromebook laptops for his classroom. As a blended learning environment, Mr. Moore integrates traditional face-to-face instruction and technology to create unique learning opportunities for his students. The laptops will be utilized to facilitate lessons on education and training, human services, health science and law, public safety, corrections, and security.

From funding the purchase of technology, to garden supplies and ergonomic furniture, Lake Cities Education Foundation grants are empowering teachers across Dallas. This is a selection of half of the grants we awarded for 2017-2018, we will share more funded programs in our next blog post.

17th Annual LCEF Gala and Auction

In its 17th year, the 2017 Lake Cities Education Foundation Gala and Auction was our most successful to date! Held on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at the Gateway Center of the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, it brought our supporters together under one roof. Growing support of our annual program was evident in the numbers, 330 attendees joined us for an impactful evening featuring dinner as well as silent and live auctions!

Funds Support Grant Funding

This annual event is LCEF’s largest fundraising event of the year. Proceeds from the gala help us further our mission of enhancing educational opportunities in our community. With the support of our sponsors and event attendees, we were able to raise over $80,000 towards this effort! The funds raised will be applied towards grants for Lake Dallas Independent School District teachers and scholarships for graduating seniors of Lake Dallas High School.

Donors Make it All Possible

Generous in-kind contributions made by our supporters allowed for a wide variety of raffle and auctions items. Among the incredible auction items available was a tailgate dinner for 50 people, a South Padre Island getaway in beachfront 4 bedroom condo, an autographed football by Dak Prescott, and a Canon camera, just to name a few!

Endowments Highlighted

A special segment of the program featured videos highlighting two recent endowments, the Robin Hasserd Memorial Teacher Grant and the Tonya Monden Future Educator Scholarship. In one of the videos, Deputy Superintendent/CFO Wes Eversole is quoted stating, “the funds that are generated by the LCEF…certainly give our students opportunities that they may not have without this funding.” The major contributions we are able to make would not be possible without the support of our donors, sponsors and volunteers!

Thank you all of those who supported the LCEF Gala and Auction, we would not be able to further our mission without you by our side.

Three Ways to Support LCEF Today

Since 2000, the Lake Cities Education Foundation has awarded over $209k in teacher grants and over $366k in student scholarships! We would not be able to have such a tremendous impact on the Lake Dallas Independent School District without support from individuals and businesses in our community. If you’re looking to support our mission but don’t know where to start, we’ve drummed up a few ideas.

Volunteer

Volunteers are the backbone of the Lake Cities Education Foundation. As an organization run by an all-volunteer Board of Directors, we recognize that the time and talent our volunteers give is invaluable. There are many opportunities for volunteer involvement, including helping out with the upcoming LCEF Annual Gala!!

Join Us at the LCEF Annual Gala

The 17th Annual Lake Cities Education Foundation Gala and Auction promises to be a good time in the name of education! To be held on Thursday, November 16, 2017, the program will feature a silent auction and dinner followed by a live auction. The Annual Gala presents an excellent opportunity for corporate involvement, table sponsorships are available for $800.  Individual tickets are available for $65. Unable to join us at the gala but still interested in participating in the auction? We are using Qtego, a mobile bidding platform, to enable you to bid remotely! Look for the link on our website and Facebook page closer to the gala date.

Donate

Charitable donations, big or small, go a long way in supporting our mission of enhancing educational opportunities in our community. If you’d prefer to make an in-kind donation, we are currently accepting donations for the silent and live auctions featured at the Annual Gala. Making an auction donation is made possible by our volunteers, who are available to pick up items you’d like to donate. Remember, both forms of donations are tax deductible!

If you would like to support the Lake Cities Education Foundation but aren’t sure how, we would welcome you to join us as a volunteer, as a LCEF Annual Gala attendee or as a donor! Would you prefer to talk to us about opportunities for involvement? Reach out to us today.