Showcase Your Skills, Help Local Schools at 'Valley View's Got Talent'

district staff, alumni and local residents will have the opportunity to tune up their voices, dust off their musical instruments and costumes, and show everyone that they still have “it” by performing in front of an appreciative and understanding crowd at the 18th Annual Dinner and Auctions on Friday, March 16. 

The event is being held at the , where internationally known performers such as Smokey Robinson, Dennis DeYoung and Tom Dreesen have wowed the crowds. 

Entertainers wanted

The foundation is seeking staff, alumni, and residents with talent to be a part of its annual dinner and auctions.

The dinner, which is the major annual fundraising event for the foundation, has taken on many different formats over the years. Early on, celebrity speakers shared their life experiences. Entertainment has also included dance bands, student performances, and, last year, Irish dancers in honor of the St. Patrick’s Day theme. 

After the dinner last year, a few alumni attendees joined the karaoke activities in The Nest at Bolingbrook Golf Club. That experience sparked the idea for “Valley View’s Got Talent”-style entertainment for this year’s dinner. After checking with a few more alumni and staff within the community and school district, the Foundation Dinner Committee decided this entertainment would fit well with an ongoing commitment to showcase and support the positive achievements of Valley View.           

The format will be simple to allow for as much participation as possible. The main style of entertainment will be musical, song or dance, or both. Participants can choose one or more songs to perform. They can perform on their own or with a group. Entertainment will occur throughout the evening and will be organized to minimize downtime in between acts. Due to time restrictions at the event, the number of acts will be limited, so interested parties should confirm their involvement quickly. The foundation will make selections from those interested. 

Anyone interested should contact Mike Lawler, foundation president, by email at mtlawler@comcast.net. The deadline to sign up is March 1.

VVEEF's mission

Since beginning its active funding efforts in 1994, the foundation has funded 675 programs exceeding $1 million. 

Programs are designed by staff, administrators and parents and are evaluated by an anonymous group of judges who score each grant application against established criteria. Programs must go above and beyond established curriculum offered by the district and have covered diverse instructional areas such areas as reading, math, history, science, music and theater, among others. 

Over the years, several programs funded by the foundation have been incorporated into district curriculum. More information about the Foundation is available at www.vveef.org.