The Chippewa Valley Educational Foundation will hold the Taste for Education Taste Fest and Auction on April 18 at the Mirage in Clinton Township. The wine basket prize pictured is one of many raffle and auction prizes available at the event. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Gebbie)
An elegant evening filled with delicious food from 27 restaurants will be held at the Mirage in Clinton Township, courtesy of the Chippewa Valley Educational Foundation.
The foundation will hold its 11th annual A Taste for Education event on April 18 at 6 p.m. at the Mirage Banquet and Event Center, 16980 18 Mile Road in Clinton Township.
“This is our largest and flagship fundraiser,” said Foundation President Christopher Gulla.
Restaurants, caterers and markets from Macomb County and beyond are invited to Taste Fest. Diane Blaine, director of school and community relations for Chippewa Valley Schools, said some restaurants have participated in all 11 years Taste Fest has been held.
“Local restaurants are really coming out and bringing really good food and coming in and manning their booths. And they're putting on really nice displays as well. That's what's really great about it. And everything is donated,” Blaine said.
Blaine said one of the participants who returned to the restaurant is actually a district alumnus.
“We have a lot of different people. In fact, one of them, Gray Ghost, is a restaurant in Detroit. We have an alumnus who comes every year. He's always really happy to do it and We love him. We're glad he's there. It's a really great restaurant and it's fun to have him back in the community to help raise money,” Blaine said.
The foundation is reaching out to find new restaurants, caterers, and Market Taste Fest participants, including newly opened establishments. Blaine said the search typically begins several months in advance in the fall.
“They love interacting with the school community and have fun while they're at school,” Blaine said.
Taste Fest attendees can participate in a variety of games, including grand prize drawings, silent/online auctions, basket raffles, and more. Blaine said those who cannot attend the entire Tastefest event will still be able to participate in the auction, as it will be conducted with an online component. He also said a link to the auction will be available on the district's website, chipewavalleyschools.org, in the weeks before the Taste Festival.
Gura said the foundation expects to attract 500 guests to the event this year. Tickets for “A Taste for Education” are $55 per person and can be purchased at the Chippewa Valley School District school office. You can also purchase by contacting 586-723-2240, tinyurl.com/CVSTasteFest2024 or at the School District Administration Building, 19120 Cass Avenue, Clinton Township. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the night of the event.
“The ticket price does include everything at the tasting stations. There are 27 different restaurants, and pop, water and coffee are included. Alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase. And then there's the DJ and music. There's also,” Blaine said.
Restaurants, markets and caterers can still register to participate in Taste Fest. Blaine said the foundation is also still accepting donations of auction prizes and sponsorships for “A Taste for Education.” If you are interested in registering as a restaurant participant, or if you are a business that would like to make a donation or sponsorship, please contact us at 586-723-2240 or kgebby@cvs.k12.mi.us.
“We are really fortunate in that our business community is very supportive of our schools,” Blaine said.
The Chippewa Valley Education Foundation's mission is to help the Chippewa Valley School District achieve and sustain further excellence by leveraging private resources, fundraising and donations to supplement traditional school funding. The foundation was established in 1987 and is nonprofit and tax-exempt. It is dedicated to fostering new and creative programs designed to enhance education in the district.
Proceeds from the Taste Fest event will benefit Chippewa Valley Schools' foundation projects, including student scholarships and teacher mini-grant programs. Mini-grants are typically awarded to teachers at all grade levels to work on unique classroom projects. Blaine said the fundraising goal for this year's Tastefest is $50,000.
Funds raised through this year's Taste Fest will be used to fund mini-grants for teachers for the 2024-25 school year. Typically, teachers apply for mini-grants in the fall and decisions are made in the winter. Applications for teacher mini-grants are reviewed through a committee process, taking into account the number and type of applications and available funding. Blaine said the foundation board must approve the committee's recommendation for awarding the grant. Foundation directors will visit each school to announce and present the award to the selected teacher.
“We set up a secret or surprise presentation for the teachers. They were going to go to a regular staff meeting and the foundation director shows up and awards the teachers with mini-grants.” said Blaine.
Gura said the $23,262 grant was awarded in 18 separate grants for the 2023-24 school year. Requested items range from 3D printers to musical instruments to scoreboards, Gula added.
