$18K Raised For Chatham Schools Through 'Winter Wonderland' Event

CHATHAM, NJ — The results are in, and according to the event planners, Chatham's second annual "Winter Wonderland" event raised approximately $18,000 for the Chatham Education Foundation.

Over 1,000 local residents attended the holiday event on Dec. 17, walking past decorated homes while enjoying food trucks, holiday movies, karaoke, festive crafts and music provided by carolers and a select group of Lafayette Avenue School fifth-grade band members.

In the Manor neighborhood of Chatham Borough, more than 80 families went above and beyond to decorate their homes and open up their streets to the neighborhood.

Food trucks such as Mexican Spice, Tokyo Sushi, Nathan's, Light Bulb Coffee Shop and Eddie Dee's Global Eats were all popular attractions at this year's Winter Wonderland.

Bethany Gianusso, the event chairwoman, collaborated with the Chatham Borough Police Department to ensure that this evening's family fun event remained safe for all.

"Winter Wonderland is such an incredible night. Watching the children arrive and explore the neighborhood is heartwarming. The excitement of not knowing what is around the corner fills them with anticipation," Gianusso said. "I’m proud of the CEF family and my neighborhood for
coming together to host this ‘friendraiser.’"

Through ticket sales and sponsorship donations, Winter Wonderland was able to raise $18,000 for the district's six public schools.

"The holidays were a catalyst for Chatham residents to support our local community, in particular our school district," said Laura Bojanowski, CEF President. "Thanks to donors’ generous support, CEF has awarded grants that place Chatham on the leading edge of the classroom experience and could not have been funded by the school district’s budget alone."

All proceeds from CEF's Winter Wonderland, as well as donations to their Annual Fund, will be used to make new grant awards for the remainder of the 2022-2023 academic school year.

The Chatham Education Foundation is a privately funded organization dedicated to supporting educational excellence in the School District of the Chathams through parent and community donations.

Since its inception more than 25 years ago, the Chatham Education Foundation has funded over 260 grants totaling $1.6 million.

The foundation's next community event is its ninth annual trivia night, which will take place on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Florham Park Sports Dome & Event Center. Click here to learn more about the trivia night and how to sign up.