Five years ago, I had a freshman at Norcross High School, a 7^th grader at Pinckneyville Middle and a 3^rd grader at Simpson Elementary.  Like most NHS moms, the days were long and jam-packed.  I was a volunteer at both Simpson and Pinckneyville on the PTAs, and I was excited about this new organization I had learned about at Norcross High called the Foundation for Excellence.  I attended their Fall Advisory Meeting and I knew that I wanted to be part of this organization. 

I heard there was a Gala fundraising event and my first thought was, what a great opportunity to dress up and get out of my everyday “mom uniform”!  That year, the Gala was run by a committee, and I attended the meetings throughout the year. 

On a beautiful spring night my husband and I attended the event at the Lupuloff home. We were pleasantly surprised, and we felt like the whole community was there. It was nice to see families attend who didn’t even have kids at Norcross yet. The home was beautiful, the hosts gracious, the band incredible and the food amazing. I was hooked. and I knew I wanted to volunteer more of my time to this event.

Fast forward to 2012, and I have been the Gala Chairperson for the last four years.  For the first two years, the event was held at the Lupuloff home, and I worked closely with Jan Lupuloff.  Her guidance and generosity were invaluable. 

Last year, we faced a big problem; we had outgrown the Lupuloff home. We did a community search and decided the Fields Club in Peachtree Corners would make a great venue.  For some it was a hard sell, especially for those who have attended a sweltering swim meet!  Needless to say, the pool deck transformed just as we had hoped.  Not a pool chair in sight, instead tents, soft lighting, beautiful linens and flowers and you would never remember sitting at a swim meet for hours. We didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, this year the Fields Club will once again play host to the Gala on Friday, April 27^th.

We are excited that Terry Lee & the GT’s will return as our band. They have a wonderful sound and bring a great energy to the event. Designs in Flowers will be providing beautiful floral arrangements.  The Bleu House Café in Old Norcross is very excited to participate and provide the main buffet and desserts.  We are also thrilled that new restaurant, TEN Bistro, is providing an appetizer.  The Patio is donating trays of cookies and brownies.  We are all set for a great evening.

Come spend a night under the stars with your neighbors and friends. You don’t have to have a student at Norcross to attend this community event. For more information about the Gala, to purchase tickets, and to learn more about the work of the Foundation, visit the Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence website at http://www.norcrosshigh.org/nhs-foundation-for-excellence.aspx