The Gunston School’s signature fundraising event, the Bull & Oyster Roast, will be held on Saturday, October 19 from 5-9 p.m. on the school’s waterfront campus, overlooking the Corsica River. The evening includes delicious food provided by Phat Daddy’s BBQ and Superior OysterShuckers as well as a beer truck, wine pull, and signature cocktail. DJ Kevin with Good Vibrations Entertainment will be back and taking requests for the dance floor.
Now in its ninth year, the Bull & Oyster Roast features an online silent auction, a live auction, and a “Stop the Auction and Raise the Paddle” portion which raises dedicated funds for a specific cause each year. This year, Gunston has a special opportunity to raise funds for a matching $100,000 matching grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation. This grant will boost environmental education programs, including the Chesapeake Watershed Semester and Chesapeake Bay Studies. It will support the school’s new 40-acre waterfront property with educational spaces, trails, and signage, and fund a van, kayaks, and trailer for field trips. Additionally, it will fund an Environmental Scholars Fund to ensure all students can participate.
“We are so fortunate to have received this opportunity from the EE Ford Foundation,” explains Head of School John Lewis. “To ‘unlock’ the grant, we need to raise $100,000 dedicated to this cause. To help achieve this goal, we are earmarking all of the proceeds from the live and silent auctions, the Best of Live Auction Raffle, and the “Stop the Auction” portion of the Bull & Oyster Roast to this initiative.”
The online silent auction runs from October 14-20, giving the entire Gunston community a chance to bid on an array of fantastic vacations and fun experiences, golf outings, professional photography sessions, artwork, and more. This year’s raffle and live auction will be in person and includes a handful of big ticket items such as vacation packages with more details to be announced soon.
“We are in need of auction items for both the live and silent portion,” explains Bull & Oyster Roast Chair Valerie Overton, P’24’28. “Please consider donating your vacation home for a getaway or airline miles and hotel points. We’re also looking for things such as personalized, VIP or behind-the-scenes experiences, signed sports memorabilia, event tickets, lessons—those are always very popular. And of course we welcome gift certificates from local restaurants and catering services, spas, boutiques– it all creates an unforgettable experience that not only raises funds for our school but creates lasting memories for the winning bidder!”
“This is also a wonderful sponsorship opportunity,” explains Gunston Parents Association President Ildi Watkins, P’26’28. “Please consider an individual or corporate sponsorship, as your generosity underwrites this event and makes it possible to raise the funds our students need.”
Tickets are on sale now at gunston.org/bullroast24 with early-bird pricing at $85 per person until August 31, $95 from Sept. 1-30, and $110 per person from Oct. 1-19. Tickets for alumni as well as former faculty and staff, and guests of current faculty and staff are $80. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older.
Sponsorships for the Bull & Oyster Roast range from $150 up to $5,000 with a price point for every budget. Additionally, there is an option to become a Heron Hero, which combines the sponsorship benefits of all three Gunston fundraising events, the Bull & Oyster Roast on October 19, the Heron Pickleball Tournament on April 12, and the Golfing fore Gunston on May 2.
This year’s Heron Heroes include Waterfront Sponsor Fred Frederick Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Easton (Janell & Jeffrey Frederick, P’23’25), Middleton Sponsors Joyce & Associates, LLC (Christine & Kevin Joyce, P’26), Easton Dermatology Associates, LLC (Brigitte & Dr. Donald Stranahan, P’25’27), and “Friends of Gunston.” Corsica Sponsor Ebb Tide Tent & Party Rentals, and Green & White Team Sponsors Wye Mills Mechanical, LLC, Dr. Laurie & John Lewis, and the Shifrin Family, P’21’21.
This year’s Bull & Oyster Roast sponsors include BBQ Sponsors ShoreGate Partners (Chesley & Justin Nonemaker, P’27) and What’s Up? Media, Pit Beef Sponsor Island Creek Events (Katharine Greenlee Henning ’07), Half Shell Sponsor Smithey Law Group (Joyce Smithey, P’26) and Shore Sponsor Fit Flock.
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