Shaker Schools Foundation Marks Its Silver Anniversary

Celebration Includes Special Events, New Website, and Major Fundraising Campaign

The Shaker Schools Foundation is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of its founding. Established in November 1981 by community leaders who believed that Shaker parents, graduates, and residents would support extra programs and enrichment opportunities for students and faculty, the Foundation was the first in the State of Ohio designed to support a public school district.

During the past twenty-five years, the generosity of its donors has enabled the Foundation to make a positive difference in the education of Shaker Heights City School students. Its assets have increased from $42,000 at the end of 1983 to more than $1.5 million. With this growth has come the ability to provide increased grants to teachers, the purchase of specialized equipment, awards to students, and a refurbished Small Auditorium at Shaker Heights High School. The Foundation is currently raising $1.4 million to restore and renovate the High School's Large Auditorium to a state-of-the-art performance and classroom space.

Silver Anniversary activities began with a donor appreciation event on September 9, which included a naming ceremony in the High School's Small Auditorium and continued with a reception in a private home. Major donors were recognized through the naming of the auditorium, stage, and SMART Podium. The Small Auditorium reopened in 2003 after a major renovation and technology update, provided by funds donated to the Foundation. 

A new Shaker Schools Foundation Lecture Series will launch on Thursday, November 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the High School. The free program will feature several experts on childhood obesity, nutrition, and health concerns. Details will be available on the website in early October.

The popular annual event, A Night for the Red & White, will be held on March 10, 2007, at the InterContinental Hotel. The Shaker Schools Foundation will partner with benefit planners to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the Red & White and its own silver anniversary. The Red & White has raised a total of more than $1.3 million to support the arts, humanities, and technology in the Shaker Heights City Schools.

The Shaker Schools Foundation has also redesigned its website, which features information about the Foundation's history, activities, events, contributions, and Board of Trustees, along with access to the 2005 Annual Report.