Hempfield Area Foundation Funds Committee to host 'Spartan Soiree'

Hempfield Area School District’s Foundation Funds Committee is holding a weekend night of celebration to benefit student scholarships, grants and district projects.

Through the upcoming “Spartan Soiree,” slated for 6 p.m. Saturdayat Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield, attendees can support the committee’s efforts and enjoy food, drinks and live music.

Basket raffles and auctions also will be held at the event. Tickets are $60 for general admission, with a VIP $80 option available that allows guests to enter the auctions half an hour early and access preferred parking.

The event is the first of its kind for Hempfield’s committee, though the group has held other fundraisers. Other districts’ similar events were an inspiration for the format, past chair Jeanne Smith said.

“It’s in the form of a cocktail party because I think people like to walk and talk and move around as opposed to being stuck at a table,” event chair Marcy Stein said.

At the event, the committee will honor three retired teachers who have made a significant impact on the district, Smith said.

The honorees are Richard Redmerski, who founded Hempfield’s Project 18 civics education program; Susan Bosley, who spearheaded staff development programs for continuing teacher education; and Robert Kalp, a longtime softball coach who led his team to multiple state and WPIAL titles.

“We did someone who did this long-term course, who really benefited the students and the community, then we did someone who really impacted education and teaching, and then we did someone who was in the sports. We tried to hit a gamut,” Smith said.

“We’re honoring them because we really feel they contributed a great deal to our district and our students and our teachers and to the community. It’s going to be a very nice event.”