On Feb. 27, 2021, The Elisabeth Morrow School community gathered virtually to celebrate the school’s 90th anniversary and to honor its founders, represented by the Morrow family and the Elisabeth Reeve Morrow Morgan Foundation; beloved former faculty member George Penny, and the Borg Family, who have attended and supported the school for multiple generations.
The magical and fun-filled virtual gala and auction, which was live-streamed on our school’s website and on Facebook, was emceed by EMS parents Jen Maxfield Ostfeld P ’21, ’22, ’25, a correspondent for NBC New York and vice president of the Board of Trustees, and Michael Daly P ’22, a professional stage, TV, and voice actor. Students, their families, alumni, and friends lis- tened to warm welcomes from EMS leaders, Dr. Maureen Fonseca, Head of School, and Hanita Walia, President of the Board of Trustees. The gala honorees made appearances by video, and throughout the event, guests bid online for a variety of exciting auction items ranging from a private family basketball lesson with EMS alumnus and former professional basketball player Patrick Ewing Jr. ’96, to a hand-carved violin package with free tuition to The Elisabeth Morrow String Festival. The gala additionally featured performances by some notable celebrities, including Freestyle Love Supreme Academy, an improvisational hip-hop musical group, and two-time Tony-nominated actress and singer Kate Baldwin, star of Big Fish, Finian’s Rainbow, and Hello, Dolly!, as well as the school’s middle school students and music faculty as they sang a special rendition of the school’s Apple Tree Song, featuring a new verse written especially for the 90th anniversary.
“This is such an exciting time for the EMS community,” said Dr. Maureen Fonseca, Head of School, “and we’re thrilled that this milestone celebration was so well received. In addition to honoring those who have shaped our school through their support and service, the gala is an important annual fundraising event. We were fortunate to welcome hundreds of community members to our virtual gala, who were watching from locations around the world, and closed the evening with record-breaking donations! I extend my deepest gratitude to all those who joined us in love and friendship to support the mission, values, and, ultimately, the amazing students at this extraordinary school.”
This gala was record-breaking in raising $280,000 to support our students and faculty, with an additional $90,000 received through our 90-for-90 challenge grant from The Elisabeth Reeve Morrow Morgan Foundation.
Sponsors for this event include a number of private individuals as well as local businesses. As a thank you, sponsors and VIP guests were in- vited to a special pre-event emceed by News 12 anchor Carissa Lawson, and featuring actor and singer Robert Bannon, as well as gala performers Freestyle Love Supreme Academy and Kate Baldwin.
We’d like to give a special thank you to our Gala Co-Chairs Lulu Atanda, Lauren Camarinos, Candace Gonzalez, and Dimitri Vermès for their efforts in organizing this event.
Watch The Elisabeth Morrow School’s 90th Anniversary and Gala: elisabethmorrow.org/90gala
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