Built on Ashland Terrace in 1960, St. Jude School is beginning to show its age, and parents are working to raise funds to bring the quality of the facilities up to par with the quality of the education their children receive there, said Mary Jungels, a member of the school's event fundraising board.
"We want to provide the best quality learning environment possible, and we want to be welcoming to new families," said fellow board member Paulette Schievelhud.
The main building of St. Jude School, built in 1960, is shown. Parents are raising funds to make improvements to the school through a Kentucky Derby themed event being held at The Westin April 27.Through the school's fundraiser last year, they raised around $25,000 and were able to replace some of the flooring in the administrative building, do some painting and pressure-washing, and replace some doors. They also made improvements to the library, including new tables, chairs and a workspace for the teacher, they said.
The roof is old and still needs to be fixed, and windows need to be replaced. But for the 2019 fundraiser, officials are hoping to raise $40,000 to renovate the school's bathrooms and kitchen and to finish redoing the administrative offices - the place where new families get their first impression of the school, said Jungels and Schievelhud.
To raise money for the improvements, St. Jude is hosting a Kentucky Derby themed event at The Westin called Jockeys and Juleps on April 27. Rooms are available to event guests for a discounted rate of $169 until March 29 or the hotel reaches 70 percent occupancy.
The main building of St. Jude School, built in 1960, is shown. Parents are raising funds to make improvements to the school through a Kentucky Derby themed event being held at The Westin April 27.The event will feature dinner, horse racing games, a live auction with Victoria Meek Underwood of Meek's Auctions, and dancing to the music of the Young Hearts. There will also be a silent auction with items up for grabs such as pool memberships, restaurant gift certificates, summer camp experiences, makeup artists and more.
Tickets are $75 for general admission and $100 for VIP, both of which include dinner and wine at the table, with wine donated by Athens Distributing. The party will begin at 6 p.m. for VIP guests and at 7 for other guests, and run until midnight.
"It's a super-fun event, and you'd be supporting a great school that really deserves it," Schievelhud said.
The Westin is at 801 Pine St. For room reservations related to Jockeys and Juleps, call 866-912-1083 and reference the St. Jude annual fundraiser.
Event organizers are still seeking sponsors at all levels. For more information, email stjudejockeysandjuleps@gmail.com.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.