On Friday, May 6, nearly 300 elementary school parents and guardians gathered along Magnolia Avenue, alongside the beautiful new PHS theater building, for a festive street party celebrating Spring Fling 2022 “Under a Piedmont Sky”.
The first in-person Spring Fling party in three years, “Under a Piedmont Sky” was an opportunity for Beach, Havens, and Wildwood families to meet, to raise a glass, and to build community spirit while raising funds for Piedmont’s elementary schools. With fairy lights illuminating the space, and heaters chasing away the chill, attendees enjoyed specialty cocktails and a multicultural array of snacks. Lively chatter and laughter filled the night with folks vying to get that last bid in on the silent auction, which included treasures from handcrafted bags and jewelry, to a private dinner prepared by the chef/owner of Commis restaurant. The evening ended with music and dancing as local legends Rusty Stringfield played pop classics with a bluegrass spin, accompanied by special guest Sam Wilde, one of PUSD’s instrumental music teachers.
The Spirit of Community
“While fundraising is an important part of Spring Fling, this year our focus was on rebuilding the community by getting elementary school parents together to have some fun,” said Heather Frank, Executive Director of the Piedmont Education Foundation. “By holding the event in Piedmont, we were able to introduce Spring Fling to new families and share the best of what our community has to offer.”
This year’s event was truly a city-wide effort. “We want to thank everyone who made last Friday’s Spring Fling celebration possible, especially Pete Palmer and our partners at the school district, the city, Piedmont police, and the fire department, who came over to fill up our street barriers and potty trailer with water. Our guests had a great time and it was a fabulous way to relaunch Spring Fling,” said Frank.
Spring Fling fundraising is ongoing, and PEF will not have a final dollar amount until next month. Funds raised will be distributed to the elementary schools in consultation with the tri-school principals and parents’ clubs. This year’s Spring Fling fund-a-need is focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging programming at PUSD. Community
members who would like to support this initiative can visit PiedmontEdFoundation.org to learn more.
About PEF
Piedmont Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide sustained financial support to Piedmont schools through fundraising and community engagement. Led by a 23-member volunteer board and supported by a professional office staff, PEF has affirmed a commitment to working together for a more
inclusive Piedmont. For more information, visit PiedmontEdFoundation.org.