Alumni Council Holds Record-Breaking Fundraiser
On the evening of April 19th, HM alumni, parents, and friends gathered together in Fisher Hall Rotunda for the Alumni Council Benefit, an annual fundraiser for the Student Lunch Initiative.
Samantha Brand ’01 P ’26 ’29, pictured above (right) with Jenny Friedman ’08, was honored for her many years of service on the Alumni Council.
The occasion offered tours led by two current HM seniors of the Upper Division’s newest facilities. Guests were afforded an up-close look at Friedman Hall, the Jeffrey H. Loria Family Aquatic Center, and Lutnick Hall and enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the student tour guides about their academic and extracurricular experiences.
Elizabeth and Tyler Sipprelle ’06 enjoyed catching up with Kate Fisher ’06.
At 6:30 pm, guest enjoyed delicious hors d'oeuvres, several food stations, and a silent auction. There was much mingling and camaraderie, as alumni from across the generations connected with each other and with former teachers and administrators. The generosity of the event’s two Silver Sponsors – Flik Hospitality Group and Inspirica Pros – was instrumental in the evening’s success. Flik donated all of the food and beverages for the cocktail party, while gift bags filled with goodies from the Horace Mann Parents Association were provided by Inspirica Pros.
Alumni from across the decades gathered to reminisce, reconnect, and make new friends. Pictured above is Julie Oppenheimer ’87, Dan Hoffman ’87, Ephram Lustgarten ’96 P ’30 ’33, and Ron Blum ’79 P ’18.
In her remarks, co-chair Jennifer Friedman ’08 thanked Flik Hospitalty Group and Inspirica Pros for their generous sponsorship, and praised the dedication of honoree Samantha Brand ’01 P ’26 ’29. Brand, the current Alumni Council President, was presented with an engraved plate as a token of the alumni community’s appreciation. Head of School Tom Kelly P '18 shared reflections on the positive impact that Alumni Council fundraising continues to have on the school’s financial aid program and thanked the leadership of event co-chairs Jennifer Friedman ’08, Lindsay Kane ’02 P’36, and Mariel Grossman ’02 P ’36. Others who played a role in the benefit’s success were Lillian Amoruso ’01 P ’34, Jocelyn Levy ’03, and Kate Fisher ’06, as well as a committee of alumni volunteers Justin Lerer ’95 P ’28 ’33, Alexandra Levin ’01, Jodi Rosensaft ’96 P ’27 ’27, Joanna Sanders ’02, Hayley Schapiro ’09, and Suzanne Sloan ’77.
Pictured left to right are Benefit Co-Chair Lindsay Kaplan Kane ’02 P ’36, Lauren Wrublin ’02 P ’33 ’36, and Ashley Fina ’02 P ’34.
All proceeds – which came ever so close to reaching the $210,000 goal – benefit the HM Student Lunch Initiative, a project designed to cover the cost of school lunch for qualified students in grades six through 12 who receive financial aid. This important aspect of the school’s financial aid program provides approximately 187 students with prepaid school lunches, ensuring proper nutrition and helping to ease the economic burden on HM families.
If you missed the Alumni Council Benefit but would like to contribute to the Student Lunch Initiative, please click the link below (which will bring you to the school’s Annual Fund giving portal) and make a donation using your credit card. be sure to write “AC Benefit” in the “Comments” field at the bottom of the screen so your gift will be directed to the Student Lunch Initiative. Thank you!
https://www.horacemann.org/support-hm/give-to-the-annual-fund