MKA was Proud to be Present

Proud to be Present, PAMKA's sold-out 2010 Spring Fundraiser, was a spectacular success!  Kudos to parents and co-chairs Lisa Amato and Marla Higginbotham-Nelson who conceived of a theme and an event that would resonate with the community and celebrate the special talents of MKA students.

"We know that parents have always enjoyed the social aspect of the fundraiser," explained Lisa, "so we wanted to give them as much time and opportunity as possible to socialize in a relaxed way.  We also know that every dollar PAMKA raises directly benefits our students, so coming up with a way of making the students central to the event was our primary goal.  We really did want everyone to be proud to be present!"

Kicking off the festivities in February was Prepare for the Future, a highly successful auction of internship opportunities for older students and young alumni. And holding Proud to be Present at the Montclair Art Museum, a new venue for the fundraiser, created added excitement from the beginning.  Guests were welcomed with a champagne reception and entertained by the MKA Upper School Strings players, then moved downstairs to enjoy an exhibition of tri-campus student artwork (still on display at the Museum,) student performances from the Middle School Chamber Singers, Middle and Upper School Jazz Bands, and the reprise of a hit from the Upper School Winter Musical by the leads in the show.  Museum art studios were turned into treasure troves of silent auction items, and auctioneer Hugh Hildesley returned from Sotheby’s to conduct an enjoyable, fast-paced and extremely successful live auction. A final drawing of two Tuition Raffle winners, with one of them being present, provided the perfect end to the evening.

“The night really did exceed all our expectations,” said Marla, “everyone gave so much in so many ways, and it has been our honor to stand proud as part of the MKA community.”

Click here to see photos from the night.