On Friday, October 23, staff, volunteers, program participants, supporters, and friends of Turning the Page arrived at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery for our 9th Annual Gala. Attendees enjoyed the musical stylings of Exclusive Report, a 7 piece jazz band led by DC native Keith A. Mathis, as well as delicious food, an open bar,
and the extensive silent auction.
With the generosity of TTP’s supporters, the silent auction was a great success, with packages from incredible pottery and signed sports memorabilia, to Walt Disney World tickets and many certificates to local restaurants and DC area activities. Thank you to all the donors for their support; the funds raised from the gala help keep Turning the Page’s family engagement programs in schools going strong.
We had the honor of awarding the Outstanding Contribution Award to Fred Bowen, local author who has participated in TTP’s Author Visits program for over a decade. He has shared his wonderful books and love of literacy with countless families and even dedicated one of his books, Go for the Goal! to TTP. Turning the Page is so thankful for his contributions to our school communities and created this award of recognition as a sign of our gratitude.
We also had the immense pleasure of recognizing two outstanding parent leaders at Turning the Page’s partner schools. Ms. Dawn Bedminster and Ms. Kimberly Johnson are the recipients of the 2015 Buffy Atkins Memorial Award for excellence in parent leadership.
Photography by Ria Arnold
Ms. Johnson has attended TTP programming through our partnership with Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School and through our parent leadership programming for over 5 years. She has shown her commitment to strengthening her child’s school and the Ward 8 community by serving as a ward representative on the Chancellor’s Parent Cabinet. We are inspired by her tireless efforts to ensure that children across the District get access to quality resources to enrich their educational experience.
Ms. Bedminster has been an integral part of the Garfield Prep and TTP community since her children enrolled over two years ago. As the PTA President, she spearheaded a community garden which broke ground last spring and has continued into this school year. She also initiated Garfield’s Community Market—a gathering place for families and community members to access clothing, home goods, and food.
Thank you to all the donors and supporters who helped make this evening possible, and thank you to all the attendees for joining us in celebrating the parents and leaders who are working so hard to create positive changes in our partner schools. We’re already looking forward to next year!
Written by Emily Raszler