Margaret Daniel Educational Foundation Dinner Raises $9,010

The Annual Margaret Daniel Educational Foundation Dinner was held in the Ashdown High School Cafeteria on Saturday, February 15 and sponsored by Trammell Piazza Law Firm, PLLC.

According to a press release, the cafeteria was set for an elegant dinner of creamy green pea soup (Sponsored by Red River Oil/McIver Abstract & Title), Bibb salad with raspberry maple dressing (Sponsored by Little River Health System), smokey garlic pork loin with mahogany sauce and spiced peaches, loaded mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach & corn, (sponsored by Cowling Title) and cream cheese carrot cake crumble (sponsored by Judge Mike Cranford and Horatio State Bank) prepared by Chef Lois Corbell and assisted by Gary Corbell, Michelle Haskins, and Wilma Burke. The delicious meal was served by the AHS Skills USA and Beta Club students and guided by their sponsors Mrs. Amy Silva and Mr. Elmorris Hopkins. The evening entertainment of piano music was provided by Ashdown High School student pianists Ariel Shumake, Ashlyn Harger, Alex Hamby, Dal Ringgold, Tryston McCandless, Grant Young and his dad Mr. Carl Young (sponsored by Red River Federal Credit Union).

The evening raised over $9,010. AHS Principal, Kay York Wortham said, “We are all delighted in the outpouring of support for our students and schools. Grants totaling over $137,000.00 have been awarded since 2005 to teachers in the Ashdown School District. The teachers and staff at Ashdown have many unique and innovative ideas in which they wish to come to fruition and the Margaret Daniel Educational Foundation provides the support and funds to do so.”

The Foundation Board continues to keep the standards high so that each dollar that is given either as a gift, memorial or honorarium is in turn granted to projects and ideas that meet the goals set forth by the Margaret Daniel Educational Foundation. Wortham said, “We want our donors to know that their hard-earned dollars are benefitting students in Ashdown to reach higher learning and academic achievement through unique and state of the art ideas and materials.”

Grants have been awarded for World Drumming Materials, sensory stations, butterfly gardens, AHS art supplies, engineering equipment for robots and programming, Colombia University Writing Institutes, the Baby Grand Piano at Ashdown High School, and most recently computer software and equipment for our computer science class to work closely with the AHS Baseball Team on data analysis. These grants have provided over-the-top opportunities for our teachers and students.

The Foundation accepts donations, memorials, and honorariums throughout the year as well as providing for the annual dinner and silent auction in February each year. Ashdown School District Employees that are “invested” have been giving $10 per month which is automatically deducted and given to the foundation each month. According to Wortham, “That is a true blessing."

Foundation Board members include Darren Thomas, Brenda Tate, Kari Harger, Beth Provence, Thad Bishop, Katrina Williamson, Mallory Wharton, and Kay Wortham.

Any donations can be mailed to MD Ed. Foundation, 171 South Locust, Ashdown, AR 71822

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