Great Hearts Gala event raised dollars for teacher needs
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Great Hearts Academies raised more than $800,000 during its 5th annual Great Hearts Gala.
The night to remember, presented by Casas Bonitas and produced by Broadcast Rentals, took place on Saturday, Sept. 24, at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix.
The theme for this year’s event was “Emerald City,” which is a nod to the classic film “The Wizard of Oz.” It supported the Teacher Excellence Fund, which provides bonus compensation every December to reward and retain the best Great Hearts teachers across Arizona, according to a press release.
This was the first time the gala returned since before the pandemic and is the largest fundraiser for the Teacher Excellence Fund, giving Great Hearts Academies the opportunity to reward the Arizona teachers who work harder than ever. Last year more than $600,000 was raised for the 2021 Teacher Excellence Fund, which provided 557 Great Hearts Arizona teachers bonus compensation in December 2021, the release states.
“The money raised this year was record-breaking,” said Brandon Crowe, superintendent of Great Hearts Arizona, in a prepared statement. “It was great to come together in person at an event where the proceeds add to the Teacher Excellence Fund. We want to thank our teachers for their devotion and passion for serving Great Hearts scholars.”
(Photos courtesy of Jason Moore and Gwendolyn Hanlon/DigitalFreePress.com)
Great Hearts Gala event
This year’s 2022 co-chairs were Dustin and Tiffany Christianson. The Christiansons are leadership society members and parents of two children at Scottsdale Preparatory Academy. The program featured students, teachers and alumni from around Great Hearts.
Guests were guided through the gala’s presentations by Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man. Entertainment included performances from the faculty choir and a special recitation from 2022 Bard Competition winner Isaac Mendez. Guests enjoyed video presentations highlighting the many accomplishments of the Great Hearts faculty and scholars over the past year.
Great Hearts is a nonprofit network of tuition-free public charter schools dedicated to improving education nationwide through classical preparatory K-12 academies.
