PTA Raises Thousands for University Park Elementary

University Park Elementary School students will have an extra $12,000 for its programs and activities thanks to the school's PTA, who organized a silent auction Saturday night at Wallace Presbyterian Church.

The event brought together community members for wine, cheese and opportunities to bid on anything from hand-painted benches to fantasy getaways.

"It’s exciting to be here for the first time," said Philippa Gasnier, whose son attends UPES. "There are lots of great items that are offered at the auction."

Items were donated by teachers, students and community members and ranged in value from $10 trips for ice cream with teachers to a $1,500 offer of immigration legal services.  services. After registering, attendees bid on items by simply writing the price they wanted to pay on the donation sheet, even if it was under the recommended starting bid.

The donations to the auction included music lessons, homemade cookies, and a variety of other items. PTA Member Rob Martin emceed the event, creating brief breaks in the live music—and a scramble towards pens and bid sheets—when announcing when bids were about to close.

"University Park is 'a neighborhood school'.  A lot of our kids walk there, but there’s also a lot of our kids that come by bus, and they form this great community with a fabulous music program and fabulous teachers who continue to do more with less,” said PTA member Carrie Davis Murphy, who was a co-chair of the event. 

It was because of this community, she said, that many of the 169 donated items were made available.

“The whole school gets involved in soliciting donations,” Davis Murphy said.  “All the parents and the staff either solicited donations or gave donations themselves, because we have such a huge wealth of experiences amongst our staff and our parents.  They’re people who are professionals in all fields.”

Professionals in the community offered consultations, classes, photography sessions and even a massage.  All profits from the variety of auctioned items will go entirely to the UPES PTA, which plans to use the funds, she said, to supplement the lack of funding for art, materials, books, field trips, and other activities that the school is currently facing.

“We’re hoping that it makes a good amount of money for us, because we need it,” Lily Baker, a UPES parent and teacher said. “Unfortunately, as you know, (Prince George's) County is struggling economically and our schools are suffering.  We’re trying really hard to compensate for some of that as best as we can.”

Baker also works as event coordinator for Wallace Presbyterian Church, which donated the space and food for the auction, and was pleased to be able to help with the event in a multifaceted way. 

“It’s my neighborhood, it’s my community, so it’s been an easy fit for me to kind of help out both sides,” Baker added.

Attendees milled around the room with their drinks and snacks, chatting as they looked at the many offerings and put their names down for bids. At least 106 people placed bids.

“I love it,” Principal Nancy Schickner said.  “It also brings the community together tremendously because it’s not just the people who have kids at UPES.  The mayor was here, people whose kids used to go to University Park and teachers’ friends—so it’s a really wonderful event.”

“I’m so grateful to have such an amazing PTA and community,” Schickner added.  “University Park is such a special place… everybody works to make it a better place.  I just feel really lucky.”