From the desk of our Board President,
Francisco Chavez:
As the weather heats up outside, the Governor Morehead Foundation is boiling over with commitment to fulfill our mission: to help and support the students and community at the Governor Morehead School.
May and June presented a couple of great opportunities to contribute to the education and school experience for GMS students. Read on to learn how the Spring Plant Sale went, and how we celebrated with our graduating seniors!
School may be out for the summer, but we have a most urgent funding request. Our foundation is working hard to support the addition of an outdoor educational classroom (the multisensory playground) to the GMS campus. In addition to the foundation’s financial commitment, many community partners have graciously donated money to meet our fundraising goal of $120,000. We still have a long way to go, with approximately $56,000 still needed to complete the project. We’ve recently heard from the state engineer that we have a hard stop for phase I prior to the school year starting; we’d very much like to complete BOTH phases of the project before then!
Please help us meet our full goal so that the whole project gets built in time for this school year. The outdoor learning center has unique and state-of-the-art features that will help many students for years to come, and they deserve a complete project.
Please make a donation online and add “playground” to the notes so your donation can be allocated for this project. And ask organizations you belong to if they will make a donation! Every bit counts!
As always, thank you for your support!
Foundation Welcomes New Board Members
The Governor Morehead Foundation is pleased to welcome four new board members. Dr. Alan Chase, Brooklyn Scotto, Christina von Reyn, and Debra Weinel have varied and diverse backgrounds, but all share a desire to serve the staff and students of the Governor Morehead School! Check out their bios here.
Foundation Aid
Spring Plant Sale
The Spring Plant Sale (coordinated by Mr. William Tubilleja, foundation board member and Orientation and Mobility instructor) was held on two Thursday afternoons in May at the school. Students both potted plants in preparation for and helped out at the sale, offering up a variety of bell peppers, tomatoes, corn, other vegetables, and flowers. Despite dreary weather, the sale garnered over $300 to put toward creating sustainability for the GMS Community Garden project.
Graduation
The Governor Morehead School held its graduation on June 2, with six seniors receiving their high school diploma. The Governor Morehead Foundation donated gift cards to each student, allowing them to choose their own graduation gift with options ranging from audio headsets to smart speakers. Several foundation board members were also pleased to attend and join in the celebration! We wish these amazing students the very best in the next chapter of their lives!
Fundraising
Our foundation will benefit from a profit-sharing event at the Chipotle Mexican Grill at 4421 Six Forks Road in Raleigh on August 2 from 4 to 8 pm. Come enjoy a great meal with GMF! Be sure to tell them you are there to support the foundation, and they will split the profit from your dinner with us. You can also order online, using code T4FQ9NC.The Governor Morehead School will once again serve as host for the GMF fall fundraiser, the Giving Season Gala. Join us for a catered meal, a silent auction, great entertainment from GMS students, and wonderful fellowship together on Thursday, November 2. Mark your calendars now, and keep an eye out for more information (including how to buy tickets) to come!GMF continues to sell greeting cards featuring art created by students under the guidance of GMS Art Teacher, Lisa Medina. Cards are available from any member of the GMF board, and will soon be available for purchase online. Contributions to GMF continue to be made through the N.C. State Employees Combined Campaign and, as always, via our website.