VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON
Atlantic Shores Christian School alumni will reach out to others through this year's fundraising auction.
The ninth annual event, themed, "All That Jazz - A Sentimental Journey from A to Z," will celebrate the 1940s jazz world through music, art, silent and live auctions, food and entertainment.
The evening's attractions will include nine rooms devoted to silent auction items, a live auction showcasing more than 25 items, and two hours of Atlantic Shores student and faculty jazz performances in choral, forensics team, jazz and symphonic bands.
The school will weave the annual Fine Arts Festival into the night's activities with a piece of art from every pre-kindergarten through sixth-grader, and a pottery piece from every secondary art student on display and for sale.
"(Guests) can donate $10 to buy a piece of the elementary artwork, and the secondary art will be sold for specific prices," said Kelly Wheeler, art director and auction co-chairwoman.
Local businesses, such as Mad Science of Hampton Roads, an after-school enrichment program, sponsored a classroom within the silent auction. A children's auction will be held simultaneously at the school's elementary campus with an auctioneer, food and games.
Each year, proceeds from the event are used for Atlantic Shores and a nonprofit organization.
"The money is going back to the student body to enhance the excellence of our academics," said Wheeler, "and to help a group of alumni who are doing work in an African village."
The alumni - Ryan Meadows, Sally Carlson, Jeremy VanValin and Danny McCusker - and others were instrumental in creating Worlds United Ministries, a branch of Heart Touch Ministries. The college students formed to nonprofit to focus on encouraging local youths to contribute their talents..
"We are currently a group of friends who came together to raise money to build the first orphanage in Mali, Africa," said 22-year-old Meadows, a 2004 Atlantic Shores graduate and senior at Oral Roberts University who traveled to Mali last year.
In May, thanks to ongoing fundraising efforts including the event at the s chool, about 25 members of the organization will take another trip to Mali to see the fruit of their labor.
"Our vision is to unite our Hampton Roads community with the small orphanage community in Mali," Meadows said.
Added Wheeler. "Our mission, as a school, has always been to 'prepare our students to impact the world for Christ.' This is an awesome example of the young people doing just that in a very inspiring manner. "
Sandra J. Pennecke, pennecke@cox.net
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