The PEF BASH is Going VIRTUAL on Saturday, September 11th!

The impact of the global pandemic continues to create changes in how communities gather. The Petaluma Educational Foundation’s annual gala previously announced as an in-person event is going virtual. The Bubbles & Bowties BASH event committee decided to shift formats this week to assure all can safely participate in the nonprofit’s fundraising program. “Hosting this signature community event without the traditional socializing and entertainment aspects due to health safety mandates would not provide our guests with the experience we originally planned. We decided to go virtual for one more year then host the in-person gala of all galas next year,” explains PEF board member and BASH event chair Joanie Benedetti Claussen. The event will go on as scheduled on Saturday, September 11th, just now in a virtual format. “Our team is working hard to present a meaningful hour-long broadcast to tell the story of why the community’s support is essential for our students and schools at this moment in time,” shares Benedetti Claussen.

“The BASH is a longstanding well-known community event held to raise much-needed funds for all our local students and schools through the mission of PEF. The night typically welcomes 400+ guests indoors and includes a cocktail hour, silent auction, seated dinner, live auction, special paddle raise for Fund the Future, and a private concert with a headlining band. Due to mask mandates and concerns for the health and comfort of our guests, the event is shifting. We are inviting all to join the event online and host smaller gatherings with their social circle of friends and family in their home settings” explains Maureen Highland, PEF’s Executive Director. The virtual format will offer the unique opportunity for people across the country to “attend” the BASH for free and hear first-hand why our schools need us more than ever before to ensure the 12,000+ students attending the 38 public, private, and charter schools in our community have the resources they need to be successful in their learning environments.

To kick off the excitement of the BASH, PEF will host an online auction from September 1st – 12th. The Live Auction lots will open the day before the live stream event, with final bids being broadcasted in real-time during the hour-long program. Also, happening during the show will be the Taste of the Town Restaurant Raffle with a total of three lucky winners hearing their name called from our studio. A very special and truly the most important moment of the night will be the Fund the Future virtual paddle raise. As you know, this type of effort requires partners. We are asking the community to collectively raise their virtual paddles enabling the 38 schools in the Petaluma area the opportunity to apply and receive partner funding. By doing this, our community will help students to confidently move forward knowing we believe in them and are investing in their future. All those pledging financial donations will be publicly celebrated during the live-stream broadcast. We recognize this continues to be a challenging time for many. Your commitment to PEF will carry an impact on generations to come. Our students NEED us more than ever. We MUST do this now so they can succeed today, tomorrow, and in the future.
PEF, which does not receive any government funding, is committed to ensuring that vital resources are available to all our schools. Last year, PEF’s virtual BASH focused on Bringing All Students Hope during a very dire time. PEF partnered with our schools and immediately responded to their needs, and thanks to our supporters, $132,453 in funding benefiting students through 25 different grants being awarded to local schools with a focus on Social-Emotional Learning and Technology (access and devices).

Register FREE online (https://pefbash2021.afrogs.org) and view the Silent and Live Auction items, make a financial gift to PEF, and on September 11th tune in to celebrate the Bubbles & Bowties Virtual BASH Broadcast.

Our annual PEF Partners for Education – Clover Sonoma, Petaluma Health Care District, and Petaluma Market along with our Valedictorian partners Exchange Bank and Hansel Auto Group are this year's top-tier sponsors. This year we welcome Argus-Courier, Lace House Linen, and Law Offices of Bridget Mackay as our Salutatorian Partners. Our Honor Roll level Partners include Baldwin, McGaughey & Co LLP CPAs, Edward Jones Petaluma, Encore Events Rentals/Cal West Rentals, Fishman Supply Co, Golden State Lumber, Hennessy Cornerstone Value Fund, Minuteman Press Petaluma, Petaluma Post-Acute Rehab, River City Bank, Roman’s Plumbing, Team Ghilotti, Inc., along with our Teacher’s Pet level partners: Breen Wealth Management, Comcast, Dow Development Laboratories, Kaiser Permanente, Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, Pisenti & Brinker LLP, Recology, The Regan Home Loan Group, Sonoma County Office of Education, Summit State Bank, and Top Speed Data Communications. This year’s BASH Wine sponsor is Jackson Family Wines, and the Restaurant Raffle is being underwritten by WK McLellan Co.

Without the financial pledge of these local and regional businesses, the event would not be possible. We are grateful for their dedication to making sure supporting local education is a priority in our community.

The Petaluma Educational Foundation (PEF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1982. PEF has been supporting generations of Petaluma’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) – 12th-grade students. Our vision is to create impactful educational opportunities for all students in our community. Our mission funds programs that promote critical thinking, creativity, student well-being, and lifelong learning. PEF Grant and Scholarship programs have awarded a cumulative $7,951,808 to enhance and enrich the academic experience of more than 12,000 students in Petaluma’s 38 public, charter, and not-for-profit private schools.