The Learning Tree, Inc. is having the Boots and Bow Ties Gala to raise money for their local preschool, The Little H.A.P.I.E Tree Preschool in Auburn.
The preschool is part of The Learning Tree, which is a residential program for children with intellectual disabilities and severe challenging behaviors, according to Whitney Hester, regional director of The Learning Tree.
“Three kids live in each home, and we focus a lot on community inclusion, getting them out and doing things in the community,” Hester said. “We also have a school, so they come to our school.”
Hester said they do activities with the children, such as grocery shopping, bowling, going to the movies and taking them to get their hair cut.
The residents in the residential locations must be between 6-21 years old. For younger children, there is a preschool.
Hester said the preschool in Auburn relies heavily on fundraisers for their expenses.
“Here at The Little H.A.P.I.E Tree Preschool, we provide preschool services for the kids in the Auburn city school district who have developmental disabilities and need some services to hopefully try to catch up to typical peers by the time they get to kindergarten,” said April Rapp, director of the preschool. “We’re a partnership between The Learning Tree, Auburn City Schools and through Auburn University. We have a number of partnerships where students come out and provide support as well.”
Hester said the preschool has opportunities for Auburn University students to help through an undergraduate practicum in the psychology department and service-learning students from the education department.
Students can attend the gala to meet some of the parents of the children who attend the preschool.
The Boots and Bow Ties Gala will be Friday, Feb. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Lazenby Farm.
Tickets are $50 per person, and they include dinner, beer, wine, musical entertainment, a silent auction and competitive card games.
“This is the first one we’ve done,” said Stephanie Weldon, resource development coordinator with The Learning Tree. “We’re going to try to do it every year.”
Weldon said the event will have a variety of food, such as pork tenderloin, shrimp and grits, roasted veggies, shrimp fritters, mashed potato bar and chicken bites.
Hester said the attire for the event is casual chic rustic.
“I think that the inspiration for the theme really came from Lazenby Farm,” Hester said. “It’s a really good venue. We’re really excited to have the gala out there.”
Weldon said they were looking for a rustic atmosphere for the event and that she fell in love with the Lazenby Farm setting when she saw it.
Weldon said being their first time doing the fundraiser, they hope to raise at least $10,000 for the preschool.
“I am most looking forward to really taking an opportunity to just teach people, educate people about what it is that we do in a fun and casual environment,” Hester said.
All of the proceeds at the event will go to benefit The Little H.A.P.I.E Tree Preschool and the residential school in Tallassee.
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