MILLSTONE: Casino night aids township students

   MILLSTONE — Thanks to its recent fundraising success, the Millstone Township Foundation for Educational Excellence is able to offer a second grant cycle this school year which recently opened to staff. Those grants will be awarded before the end of this school year.
   The non-profit organization raised close to $19,000 from Casino Night, its final fundraising event for this school year held on Feb. 2. Every dollar raised will fund grants approved by the foundation, according to a statement from the foundation.
   ”The foundation did a great job with Casino Night,” said Mark Caravaglio, Caravaglio Training Center. “My wife, friends and I had a fantastic time, and appreciated the effort all of the MTFEE trustees put into the evening.”
   The event, which included a variety of casino games including Texas hold ‘em, roulette, blackjack and craps, was held at Battleground Country Club.
   The foundation is devoted to funding grants for items that nurture extraordinary educational experiences for every student in the Millstone Township public schools and are beyond the scope of the general school budget, the statement said.
   The foundation recently awarded grants to Millstone Township Schools that will expose students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, an emerging area that is a vital and critical component in today’s society.
   In addition, there was a 50/50 raffle, as well as tricky tray, and silent and sports memorabilia auctions that included more than 100 items. Top items were an iPad Mini, 32-inch flat screen TV, Spring Collection Coach bag, orchestra seat tickets to “Annie” on Broadway, lift tickets for several ski lodges and golf packages for various courses in the area.
   The event sponsor was Saker ShopRites. Other sponsors included: Allstate/Sharer & Associates (Millstone Township); Alves Family (Millstone Township); Aquarius Designs and Marketing/Duffy Family (Millstone Township); Biello Family (Millstone Township); Brace Place (Freehold); Caravaglio Training Center (Monroe Township); Concorde Worldwide (Freehold); Castle Consulting, LLC (Hightstown); Coffey Electric Corp. (Millstone Township); Family Foot & Ankle Center of Central Jersey (Manalapan); Lawnstyles Maintenance (Millstone Township); Nazzaro Family (Millstone Township); T.L.P. Climate Control Systems (Millstone Township); Pyhel Family (Millstone Township); Joseph R. Raccuglia, MD Family Medicine (Freehold); Sikkema Family (Millstone Township); Stillwell Family (Millstone Township); South Brunswick Animal Hospital (South Brunswick); and Vesuvios Family Restaurant (Millstone Township).
   The foundation operates independently from the school district and replenishes its grant fund exclusively through private donations and its fundraising efforts. The foundation has awarded more than $436,200 in grants to Millstone Township schools since 2002.
   Foundation grants, which have been awarded at every grade level and in every discipline, have included SMARTBoards, mobile computer and iPad labs, STEM enrichment programs and a rock climbing wall. The foundation was the first organization in the district to put iPads into the classroom in the spring of 2011.
   There are currently more than 60 foundation-funded grant programs running. Every child that matriculates through the school district will in some way benefit from a foundation-funded grant. The foundation is a member of New Jersey Education Foundation Partnership and The National Consortium of State and Local Education Foundations.
   For more information about the foundation, making a donation or becoming a trustee, please e-mail [email protected] , visit www.mtfee.org and become a Facebook friend.