“Derby Dreams – A Night for Education” hosted by the D95 Foundation is a fundraiser to support important educational initiatives; the event took place on Saturday, March 8 at The Grove Country Club to help fundraise for education. Brittany Tjardes, Treasurer and Gala Chair, recognizes the critical role of the D95 foundation in our community
“At the Educational Foundation, our mission is to support additional educational opportunities that empower all learners. […] [We] work with the district to identify initiatives and support those because we provide funding for those,” Tjardes said. “This year, we have donated $20,000 to the incubator program at the high school. In addition to that, we offer enrichment grants, so we spoke to the interests of teachers and exploring a new methods of educating students.”
Not only does the Derby Dreams event fund these important initiatives, but it also provides a space to celebrate and gather as a community. Liz Hartke, executive director of the D95 foundation, joined the foundation in September 2024 and is currently assisting Tjardes in making the event come to fruition.
“Our roles are to plan it and to see it into fruition, so we’ve done everything from securing the band to soliciting donors and sponsors. We put together the silent auction and the live auction, we’ve also arranged for some fun surprises, like a photo booth. We’ve done a little bit of everything,” Hartke said.
To support the foundation, one can attend the event, host a table, become an event sponsor, or donate to the silent auction. The gala is the largest fundraiser for the foundation, and they have been hosting the gala almost since the founding of the foundation in 2007.
“This year’s theme is Derby Dreams, a night for education. […] We are going to a derby party this year, and essentially, what we’ll do to come together is we have a dinner and we have a live band,” Tjardes said.
The gala is not only a fun event to celebrate the community and raise money for the foundation but also to raise awareness about the important work the foundation does for our learning community. Indra Josephs, president of the Foundation, emphasizes the importance of community support.
“If [anybody] would like to get involved or find out more about the foundation please check out our website,” Josephs said. “We have worked really hard this year on building it out – and of course reach out to any of our board of trustees. We would love to hear from you and for more community members and businesses to get engaged.”
