The tea, held at Arvada West High School, 11595 Allendale Drive, brought together families and alumni from several generations to celebrate the holidays and enjoy in an afternoon tea and raise awareness for the Arvada West High School Foundation.
“You see it in schools across the nation where the school’s foundation is involved and really support the kids and the community,” Joan Seeman, a foundation member and Arvada West alum said. “It starts right there in high school, those are the most important years that impact your future.”
The event gathered 42 Arvada West alumni, family and friends for an afternoon of holiday celebrations, congenial conversation, and recognition of Arvada West, past and present. During the event, the emcee, Geri Gingras-Barela, recognized those involved in the fundraiser and the importance of the fundraiser for today’s students. FIX
“I think it’s extremely important for people to take interest in successors,” said Geri Gingras-Barela, an Arvada West alum and the tea emcee. “Whatever talents you have, I think you have a responsibility to the community and to humanity in general.”
During the event, guests sipped spiced cinnamon chai tea and nibbled on an array of tea snacks while members of the Arvada West Advanced Choir and Orchestra performed Christmas carols, heard a reading of the Gift of Magi, a carol sing-a-long, and a silent auction of a variety of items.
For Barbara Haskell, the event was a way to celebrate the traditional tea with three generations of ladies in her family: her daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter.
“In my day we had teas and I wanted to share this with her [great granddaughter], so she knows what they’re like,” Haskell said.
The holiday tea was one of four fundraisers the foundation hosts annually to raise funds for scholarships for Arvada West students.
“I hope that this can become a tradition; it’s the perfect event that can become a holiday tradition and a great fundraiser for the foundation, and those who believe in education,” Gingras-Barela said.
The foundation is an organization comprised of Arvada West alumni and community members who provide scholarships to students and funds for programming and materials at Arvada West.