By Marisa Dawson
The Bennington Public Schools Foundation’s annual gala, held Saturday, March 14 at A View on State Street, sailed to new heights as the district’s largest fundraiser, raising a record-breaking $81,526. The evening, themed “A Night Out at Sea,” brought together several hundred attendees from the Bennington community and district partners in a celebration of support for local K-12 education.
Attendees embraced the nautical theme with enthusiasm and creativity. Outfits ranged from elegant beachy formalwear and casual seaside vibes to playful costumes, including mermaids, pirates, SpongeBob and Sandy Cheeks, and even inspiration from Gilligan’s Island. The fun interpretations added a lively, communal spirit to the night.
The event kicked off with a cocktail hour, offering guests time to mingle, enjoy drinks, and browse an extensive silent auction featuring a wide array of donated items. Dinner followed, leading into the formal program.
Bennington Public Schools Foundation (BPSF) Executive Director Blake Thompson highlighted the foundation’s achievements from the previous year, crediting generous community donors for enabling impactful programs. A new highlight this year was the “Raise the Paddle” initiative, where attendees were invited to donate at levels of $500, $250, $100, or $50. The response was overwhelming, raising over $16,000 in one segment alone, far surpassing the $8,000 goal.
The gala also recognized Allyson Slobotski as the recipient of the Blue Apple School Volunteer of the Year Award for her outstanding contributions to the district. Read more about her award here: https://benningtonbuzz.com/2026/03/18/a-heart-for-students-slobotski-earns-blue-apple-volunteer-of-the-year/
Megan Schafersman, Community Relations Program Coordinator, and Blake Thompson shared insights into the event’s significance and the foundation’s work.
“The main goal of our gala is to raise funds to maximize educational opportunities for our K-12 students here in Bennington,” Schafersman explained. “This event brings together people from both the Bennington area, surrounding metro area, and vendors who work with our District all to support K-12 education. Funds raised by the event go directly to our program fund, which directly impacts our students.”
Since its inception in 2016, when it raised around $30,000, the gala has grown alongside the district and community. “This year we raised a record $81,526 and had 349 attendees,” Schafersman noted. “As the District and community itself have grown, so has the Foundation and this event, drawing more people, more sponsors, more auction donations and is now the largest fundraiser for our schools. Over the years there have been several amazing volunteers and staff who have helped make this event what it is today!”
The foundation focuses its impact through three core areas: BlueNited Student Success, Blue Nation Staff Success, and Beyond Blue Future Success.
“Student success aims to meet students’ basic needs to succeed and provides opportunities to maximize their education to go above and beyond,” Schafersman said. “This ranges from Student Needs Fund to Classroom Grants to Study Centers and more. Staff success aims to support our teachers and staff. We believe supporting our teachers and staff—making them feel valued and helping them to expand their own education—has a big impact on our students. Future success is how we impact our students beyond graduation, through funding our own post-secondary scholarships, facilitating over 30+ local organization scholarships for our seniors, and running the alumni network to keep alumni connected.”
Thompson expressed gratitude for the community’s generosity. “We are very humbled by the amount of sponsorships and donations we had for silent auction items this year! It’s so nice to see businesses and individuals purchase a table sponsorship and use this event as an opportunity to bring people together for such a great cause!”
As the district continues to expand, the foundation aligns its efforts closely with district priorities. “Our Foundation is fortunate to have a school board liaison and the superintendent on our board of directors,” Thompson said. “This means that our dollars and programs are in direct alignment with district goals, their strategic plan and overall district initiatives.”
The success of the “Raise the Paddle” feature stemmed from attendee feedback. “From last year’s post-event survey, we realized we were missing a ‘general give’ option for our guests who may not care to purchase a Silent or Live auction basket and wish to just make a donation,” Schafersman said. “Raise the Paddle fit the theme this year, and we were completely blown away by the success of it. It enabled guests to give in three increments—$500, $250 or $100—and we shared what these amounts could specifically help cover.” With feedback being positive about the addition, they plan to continue this at future events as well.
Looking ahead, the foundation is refining its programs for maximum impact. “We have been working diligently with board committees and stakeholders to update all of our foundation programming,” Thompson said. “The purpose of this has been to ensure that we are maximizing our impact for the district. Our programs are designed to aid the district in going above and beyond the norm in order to bridge gaps, enrich teaching and inspire learning for all of BPS!”
Thompson closed with a message to the community: “It’s so important for people to remember no matter where they live that charitable giving has such a ripple effect. It can inspire others to give and leave an impact on so many that they don’t even realize. For public school foundations, there’s always the concept of helping communities understand the difference between the foundation and the district. Tax dollars support the district, but not the foundation. We rely on donations from events such as the gala to provide funding to aid the district in going above and beyond the norm. We are in such a unique position that has such a lasting impact on the school district and are very fortunate for our donors to help us achieve our mission.”
The record-breaking success of the 2026 gala underscores the strong support for Bennington Public Schools and the foundation’s vital role in enhancing education beyond what tax dollars provide.
