AMHERST — Retiring state Representative Ellen Story will be celebrated by the Amherst Education Foundation (AEF) Friday for her commitment to the area schools and community.
Story, who has served 24 years as a representative, announced in January she would not be seeking another term.
The 6 p.m. event, which sold out at 150 tickets, will be held at the Marriott Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Campus Center, and net proceeds from the event will support AEF-funded grants in the schools. The Amherst Education Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit committed to supporting educational equity, diversity, excellence and community support for the public schools of Amherst, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury.
AEF Co-President Diana Spurgin said Rep. Story helped to establish the foundation in 1994 and over $400,000 has been donated to the local schools since then. She thanks the community for their support on this.
“Rep. Story has played an integral role in AEF’s success by supporting AEF as a board member, a spokesperson and by taking time out of her busy schedule to emcee our annual Trivia Bee every year in its 21-year history,” Spurgin said in a May 10 press release. “We are honored to salute her on her retirement from politics after 24 years of public service.”
Guest emcees are scheduled to include Katie Zobel, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and Tony Maroulis, director of external relations at UMass Amherst. Senate President Stan Rosenberg and AEF co-founder Jan Klausner-Wise will speak during the event.
Recipients of the 2016-2017 Excellence Grants will also be announced during the evening, including a Champion Course for Elementary Math Coaches; The Culture Bearers Project; ARHS Digital Music Lab; 21st Century Biology; Building Biotechnology into the ARHS Curriculum; and Access to Technology for Students with Special Needs.
The program will draw to a close with the annual Trivia Bee fundraiser, which has been a long-running event.
“If you’ve attended our Trivia Bee,” Spurgin commented, “you know that Rep. Story wears what has now become an iconic sequined dress. At Friday’s event, the dress will take on a starring role of its own – a not-to-be-missed performance!”
Sarah Crosby can be reached at scrosby@gazettenet.com.