The Fort Thomas
Education Foundation is hosting the 2013 Grand Gala on Thursday, May 30th.  This event is a fantastic night out, but this
year is particularly special because the proceeds from the gala benefit the
third phase of the Highlands High School renovation.

There were 130
tickets sold for the event and as of today there are only six left.  The highly sought after “golden ticket” goes
for $1,000 per couple, which gets you dinner and gets you qualified for the
drawing of the amazing prizes for the night. 
The four “golden ticket” prizes include the following: 2001 SC430 Lexus
convertible, two XLVIII Super Bowl tickets, one weeks stay and ground
transportation in Cabo San Lucas, and a private tour of the New York Stock
Exchange.

The money raised
goes toward a great cause and you have a chance to win one of those truly great
prizes. 

Specific details
for the Gala are as follows:

When – Thursday,
May 30th

Where – Verdin
Bell Event Center, 444 Reading Road, Cincinnati, Ohio

Price – $1,000
(includes dinner for two, open bar, live music by Airwave, eligibility for
prize drawing)

The third phase
of the renovation is set to begin as soon as school gets out for the summer.  The plan is to have the work done by December
of 2013.  The work that is being done in
the third phase includes the following:

  • Classroom
    Upgrades: The remaining 40% of the classrooms (including the entire
    English and Social Studies Departments), as well as offices, hallways, the band
    room, restrooms and practice gym locker rooms will be completely renovated. New
    floors, ceilings and lockers will be added to complete the area and add
    positive energy to the learning spaces. 
  • New Heating,
    Ventilation, and Air Conditioning: An energy-efficient system will support
    a complete HVAC system that will improve the educational climate for students
    and faculty.
  • New Electrical
    System: An energy-efficient infrastructure to support
    new technology-enabled classrooms will be installed.
  • Secured Main
    Entrance

I contacted Mr. Gene Kirchner and asked him if he could shed some light on what the Grand Gala fundraising has made possible for the high school renovation.  He said, “The Grand Gala is a shining example of the incredible dedication and generosity which the Fort Thomas Education Foundation has demonstrated throughout the renovation process at Highlands. The completion of Phase III will ensure that all of the academic spaces at Highlands are state of the art. From the beginning, this entire project would not have been possible without their support. In partnership with the FTEF, the Fort Thomas Board of Education is committed to ensuring that all of the facilities on the Highlands campus are equally as impressive as the school’s rich tradition of academic and athletic excellence.”   

Thank you to Ms.
Jennifer King for supplying Fort Thomas Matters with all of this
information.  Also the Fort Thomas Education Foundation wanted to extend a huge thank you to Dr. David and Vicki Rider and Chuck and Shari Thompson for donating the vacation to
Cabo San Lucas and the Lexus respectively.