Paul Ecke Central’s Fundraiser Aims to be ‘Thriller’

How’d you like to attend the X Games with three-time gold medalist and pro-stunt driver Tanner Foust? Or surf alongside SPY Optic’s pro Ryan Burch on a board you built together? Maybe you’d rather spend the day riding with 7-time AMA Supercross Motorcycle Champion Jeremy McGrath?

Those are just a few of the auction prizes that will be up for grabs Saturday night during Paul Ecke Central Elementary (PEC) PTA’s annual fundraiser. Couple that with a concert at Belly Up Tavern featuring Michael Jackson tribute band Who’s Bad and it’s clear this event — aptly named School House Rocks: It’s a Thriller — is not your garden variety PTA fundraiser. 

“It’s not your typical sit down banquet where you would feel like a wallflower,” said Cyndi Darlington, a PEC parent and a event committee co-chair. “Even if you’re not involved with the local schools, this is a show you’d want to see and these are prizes you’d want to win. And normally this band preforms in huge venues, so this is a chance to see them live with a fraction of the audience.”

If the promise of good entertainment and potential prizes isn’t enough, perhaps the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping Encinitas children will be. The money raised from this event pays for the  art, music and garden educational programs at Paul Ecke Central Elementary.

“I don’t know if most people realize we don’t get any money from the state for these programs. But we feel these programs are important in raising great citizens. That’s especially true here in Encinitas, where our community is so driven by the arts, music, and environmentalism. When our kids learn to value these things, it makes our community as a whole thrive." 

Tickets to the fundraiser are $75, which includes admission to the concert, two drinks, a light dinner, and an opportunity to bid on items in a silent and live auction. Some of the other auction items up for bid include a couple of travel packages and some collectors’ memorabilia, including guitars signed by Kenny Loggins and Kenny Rogers and a tennis racquet in a case signed by Andre Agassi. You can browse complete list of auction items in the document attached to this story. 

If you’d like to bid on an item but can’t attend the event that night, you can arrange to have a volunteer bid on your behalf by sending an email to darlingtonjc@yahoo.com.

The event will be from 4 to 8 p.m., and everyone is encouraged to arrive early because the first 100 attendees will get a $10 gift card to East Village Asian Diner and free bowling at Surf Bowl. 

is a Platinum Sponsor for this event, and is a Gold Sponsor.

If you’d like to attend, you can buy your tickets online.

For more information about School House Rocks: It’s a Thriller, please visit pauleckecentral.com.

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