Featuring

Hosted Bar & Abundant Appetizers
Sharks in a Tank
Woodside High School Jazz Band
SMART Grants at Work
Short Program with Investor and Inspiration Award Recipients, Student Alumni & Fund-a-Need
After Program Coffee & Drinks

The Benefit for a Brighter Future is our premiere fundraising event, generating up to 30% of our annual income. We are fortunate each year to welcome an ever-growing number of Redwood City's top educators, community members, and business leaders for an evening of information, enjoyment, and opportunity. At this year's, Benefit for a Brighter Future 2011, more than 300 guests and 28 event sponsors helped us raise $115,000 for our programs.

One of the evening's many highlights, was the presentation of the 2011 RCEF Investor Award in recognition of long-term support for the RCEF and the students of our district to the Port of Redwood City. The Port has contributed $35,000 to RCEF since 2000. To directly support art in our schools, the Port also holds an annual an art contest for all students in Redwood City, with generous prizes for winning artists.

Past recipients of the Investor Award have included the Westly Foundation, Oracle, the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission, and Wells Fargo.

For the second time ever, we recognized a key district volunteer with our Inspiration Award in honor of Pat Crawford. While everyone who helps our students plays an important part in our district, there are always those who stand out for their service and ability to inspire others to take action. The 2011 recipient of the award was Georgia Solkov Jack. In 2010 our first ever Inspiration Award recipient was Susie Peyton.

Our amazing Redwood City students were once again on hand to help with the event and to demostrate why they and our district educators make supporting our schools such a great investment.

Thanks to our generous sponsors, every dollar we raise at this event goes directly toward providing our children with the education they need to succeed. We are very proud that we can offer our supporters this unique opportunity to make such a solid investment in the future.

Pacific Shores Center once again offered us the use of their beautiful facilities for the event. We are grateful for the ongoing support of the Pacific Shores Center management, staff, and tenants.

  BBF 2011 Committees

Honorary Host Committee
Chairperson: Ken Jones, Regional VP Wells Fargo
Jeff Ira, Mayor, Redwood City
Barry Jolette, President & CEO, San Mateo Credit Union
Steve Penna, Owner & Publisher, Spectrum Magazine
Michelle Griffith, Garfield School, 2010 San Mateo County Principal of the Year
Jo-Ann Sockolov, RCEF President

Planning Committee
Chairperson: Zeke Mead
Mark Askins
Gail Blomstrom
Sheila Cepero
Joanna Dagum
Kim Freitas
Kris Johnson
Diane Martin
Elaine Park
Barbara Pierce
Susie Peyton
Deborah Shea
Jo-Ann Sockolov
Jane Taylor

Event Partners
Marine Science Institute
San Mateo County Outdoor Education
Woodside High School Jazz Band

Master of Ceremonies
Barbara Pierce