School sleepover, principal’s pancakes up for bid at Hearst auction

by Jaylah Jennings
Hearst Elementary 4th grader

Two hundred items – including a weekend getaway in Colonial Beach, pancakes cooked by the school principal and week-long sessions at local summer camps – are up for bidding March 28th at the Hearst Elementary School Annual fundraising auction.

The Austrian Embassy also hosted the 2014 Hearst auction. (photo courtesy of Mary O’Neill)

The event, which raised approximately $45,000 in 2014, will take place at the Austrian Embassy in the North Cleveland Park/Van Ness area. The tickets cost $50 each and include food, drink and entertainment, along with the silent and live auctions.

“The funds raised go to the general Parent-Teacher Association budget, which is used to pay for classroom supplies, field trips, professional training for teachers, and many other things the school needs,” said Mary O’Neill, the auction’s chairperson. “There will be many needs once the new building opens in the fall, so it’s even more important to raise money this year.”

O’Neill said the goal is to raise $50,000 at this year’s auction.

According to O’Neill, the most popular items for sale each year are the class projects and the teacher treats “because the kids love to special time with teachers outside of school.” Hearst’s two pre-K classes are putting together an outer space-themed gift basket with children’s books, tickets to an IMAX movie at the National Air and Space Museum and astronaut ice cream. A first grade class is working on an origami mobile and other classes are creating cookbooks and quilts.

There are also a number of big-ticket items available, including summer camps, sporting events, vacation homes and restaurants.

People can bid on karate classes hosted by Kaizen Karate, dance classes by Tippi Toes, summer camp at Sidwell Friends and Georgetown Day School, four one-day passes to Disney World, tax preparation services and a one-week vacation at a vista in Puerto Rico.

Hearst teachers are offering a “lock-in” sleepover at the school.

The Hearst faculty also is getting in on the action. Six teachers are offering a “lock-in” sleepover at Hearst for 10 girls, while Mr. Hunter Coleman, the physical education teacher, is offering to take four students to a Washington Nationals baseball game. Finally, Principal Jen Thomas is auctioning her pancake-making skills in the home of the winning bidder.

O’Neill said there is a committee of eight people working on the auction and an additional 10 people helping to ask for donations. At the auction there will be another 10 Hearst parents volunteering as well as an additional 10 to 15 outside volunteers.

For more information on the event, to buy tickets, donate an item or see a list of the items already donated, please visit the Hearst auction website, or e-mail [email protected] with any questions!