The Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools will hold an inaugural ‘Foundation Fun Day’ and scavenger hunt in recognition of the organization’s 25th anniversary.

By Ronni Newton

The Foundation for West Hartford Public Schools is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and in honor of that milestone is introducing a new event designed to be fun for people of all ages.

The inaugural “Foundation Fun Day” will be held own Saturday, April 22, 2023 – which is also Earth Day. It’s a perfect opportunity for the Foundation to offer fun activities which serve an educational purpose, and also raise funds that allow the organization to continue to further its mission of supporting projects, programs, and initiatives for West Hartford Public Schools.

“We are thrilled to gather back in person to celebrate the Foundation’s 25th anniversary with this fun, interactive and exciting event,” Lauren Fine, Foundation co-president, said in the announcement of the event. “We hope the Foundation Fun Day will bring our community together to celebrate Earth Day and help the people of West Hartford to understand how important The Foundation is to our schools and, therefore, to our community.”

On Fun Day itself, which will be held from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on the grounds of West Hartford Town Hall, the Foundation will be partnering with the town’s Conservation and Environmental Commission, Clean Energy Commission, and West Hartford Recycles for activities related to Earth Day, including educational and interactive games. There will also be face painting and other free, family-friendly activities for all to enjoy. Food will be available for purchase.

Activities related to Foundation Fun Day will actually begin a week before the event, with the launch of a town-wide scavenger hunt. Teams of up to four people are invited to register in advance, and beginning at noon on April 15 participants will be able to search for clues throughout West Hartford. Mobile devices are needed unlock the clues, with access to the hunt provided through the Eventzee app (which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store) where team rankings will also be visible in real time.

The scavenger hunt will end at the Foundation Fun Day celebration, where the final clues will be made available. Prizes will be awarded at the event (between 12:15 and 1 p.m.), and at least one team member must be present to claim a prize.

Registration is $25 per team, and you can join by clicking here.

During Foundation Fun Day, there will also be a silent auction and raffle drawing at 12:30 p.m. Raffle prize winners need not be present to win.

Raffle tickets are $25 each, and the following are the available prizes:

• $500 Amazon gift card
• One night stay at the Delamar in West Hartford with breakfast for 2 plus a $200 DORO Restaurant Group gift card ($600 value)
• Weekday photo session with IRIS Photography plus a $75 product credit or one 8×10 print ($400 value).

For more information about Foundation Fun Day, including FAQs, click here.

For the past two years, the Foundation held virtual “West Hartford’s Cookin’ Up Something New” fundraisers in place of the annual West Hartford’s Cookin’ which was the organization’s signature fundraiser, held each March, until 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Those who contributed at least $100 to the virtual fundraiser received gift bags with food-related gift cards and other items.

Organizers decided to try something new this year combining the Foundation Fun Day – which is a free event accessible to all – with unique fundraising opportunities. The first 125 people to donate at least $125 will become a “Friend of the Foundation Fun Day” and receive a special thank you gift.

“We are hoping that the Foundation Fun Day can become an annual event that will help to raise funds for the important work we do,” Fine said. “The Foundation has provided over $2 million in grants to our West Hartford Public Schools. These grants fund educational projects, programs, and initiatives that are not otherwise funded by our school budget.”

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, run by a volunteer board that includes current and former West Hartford Public Schools educators and others. To learn more about The Foundation, make a donation, purchase a raffle ticket, or register for the Foundation Fun Day scavenger hunt, visit fwhps.org.

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