Classroom grants and program support were everywhere in our district last month. 

Elementary students began to visit Junior Achievement BizTown, begining with 4th graders from Wealthy. Award-wining author Carole Boston Weatherford and her illustrator son Jeffery visited all three elementaries to speak with students and share their craft. 

At the middle school, students got to program and fly coding drones for the very first time. 

The high school robotics team, which received more than $8,000 from the Foundation this year, began to build its competition robot.

And students at all our schools celebrated Kabookie Week in honor of Jimmy Gerken's legacy of friendship. Kabookie Week activities are sponsored by the Foundation's Jimmy Gerken Fund.

Altogether, February proved how interwoven the Foundation is with all our schools. Enjoy these photographs of your donations in action.

The Foundation's FUNdraiser of the year, HURRAH!, is going to be BIG! Come celebrate our schools, our students and our community with your friends and neighbors in The BIG Room at Silva Grand Rapids.

If you've never been to The BIG Room at Silva, you won't believe it! There will be a DJ, dancing, apps, treats, drinks, and more. We have a lot of surprises planned, too, and unlike the last few years, it's inside so you don't need to worry about the weather, just whether or not you'll be there for all the fun.

This year, we're asking what makes you proud. What makes you happy? What's your HURRAH! You can see how students and teachers have been answering that question on our Instagram.

Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are available now on the HURRAH! page on the Foundation website. 

Registration for sponsors is now open for the Gerken Open golf outing at Thousand Oaks Golf Club Wednesday, June 10. 

The Gerken Open Golf Outing is one of the Foundation's most anticipated events, and it’s sold out for the past four years! If there are still openings for golfers after sponsors have registered, they will be available later this month.

The Gerken Open raises funds for athletics and co-curricular activities through the Foundation’s Gerken Fund and EGR Team Boosters. The event is named in honor of Jimmy Gerken, an East Grand Rapids resident and former staff member with special needs. One of his most memorable quotes is, “That’s okay, I’ll still be your friend,” spoken in response to someone who was bullying him. Jimmy’s enduring spirit and love for sports and co-curriculars are the inspiration for the event, as these were the activities he enjoyed most. The Gerken Fund and EGR Team Boosters help ensure these activities continue to be an integral part of our students’ education. The  Gerken Fund also includes Jimmy's Friendship Fund for families in need