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science & arts academy gifted school des plaines illinois students parents

 

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us on April 5, 2025 for our Annual Benefit! What a truly magical night in the garden. Whether you danced under the twinkle lights, placed a silent auction bid, or simply came to enjoy the evening with friends, your presence helped make the night unforgettable.

We’re so grateful for the amazing support of our SAA community — families, alumni, faculty and staff, and friends of SAA — who came together to celebrate and uplift our school in such a beautiful way.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for helping us continue to grow and thrive.

Until next time…

 

...our Annual Benefit guests who spent a wonderful evening with us and supported SAA by purchasing tickets, bidding on auction items, and raising their paddles.

...our SAA community who participated from home by bidding online, purchasing auction items, and raising their virtual paddles for the SAA Future- Focused Fund.

...our dedicated Annual Benefit Committee of Kirsten Bedway, Bert Gutierrez-Wynne, Kerbie Neal, and Joanna Zisis for bringing this event to life, from the earliest planning stages through to its beautiful execution. Together with SAA alumni parent Simeon Peebler, the committee devoted countless hours to transforming our school gymnasium into an enchanted garden where we celebrated our students, alumni, families, faculty, staff, and friends of SAA. 

...our generous sponsors and donors who helped offset event costs, contributed their professional services, and provided goods and experiences for our auctions. A special thanks to Kruti Jain for her thoughtful contributions behind the scenes and jumping in with support at just the right moments.

...our incredible faculty and staff who brought energy, enthusiasm, and heart to the event—especially Mr. Steven Peter, who served as our lively auctioneer and emcee for the evening, and Mr. Bayer for always jumping in with joyous school spirit!

Thank you all for your dedication, spirit, and unwavering support of the SAA community.

2025 Annual Benefit Committee

Kirsten Bedway
Chair, Board of Trustees
Alumni Parent


Bert Gutierrez Wynne
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Current & Alumni Parent

Kerbie Neal
Board of Trustees
Current Parent


Joanna Zisis
Director of Marketing, Communications & Development

science & arts academy gifted school des plaines illinois students parents

 

 

Still Time to Support the Future-Focused Fund

During the event, we launched the Future-Focused Fund, an exciting new initiative to transform SAA’s learning environments into flexible, modern, discovery-rich spaces that support the way gifted students learn, create, and thrive.

Through the Paddle Raise, our community began funding projects like a reimagined Test Kitchen, outdoor learning spaces, science lab upgrades, classroom enhancements, and more.

Every contribution brings us closer to creating the spaces where the next great discovery is waiting to happen.

Thank you for helping us dream bigger, act boldly, and build the future our students deserve.

Raise Your Paddle