December 13, 2022
The Parma City Schools Foundation, Inc.'s mission is to enrich the educational experiences of Parma, Parma Heights, and Seven Hills students.
To help make this mission come to life, the Foundation holds fundraisers and charitable initiatives to financially support our schools. All donations directly benefit students and staff at our buildings through educator grants, special projects, rewards, incentives, and scholarships.
The most anticipated event each year for the Foundation is the Taste of the Towns. Held in September 2022 after a two-year hiatus, the event brings together the PCSD community for a night of food, raffles, and prizes.
Barbara Filipow, Parma Schools Foundation Trustee, said this year was the best year yet for the annual Taste of The Towns, which has been going strong for 9 years.
“This was a very positive event for our schools and our communities,” she expressed. “We had 25 vendors who all donated food to make this event possible, and the food was very, very good. The event was very well attended and was the largest attendance we have ever had, with over 330 people.”
The event, which not only had plenty of local food but also dozens of baskets and side-board raffles, raised over $12,000. Every dollar will be given back to the students and staff, as the 501c3 is completely volunteer-run.
With these funds, the Foundation plans to increase educator grants and continue to support student programs like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
“We have done a lot in our 11 years and we continue to get such good support,” Filipow shared. “This is not only with our staff but also with our community and our businesses. The restaurants who participate think our teachers are the best, and that was one of our goals, to get our businesses and the community to look at our teachers and staff in a positive way.”
New this year to the Taste of the Towns is a passport where people are encouraged to visit the vendors who participated in the event. Each receipt from a restaurant will be entered into a drawing for cash prizes. The goal is to have those who attended the Taste of the Towns and other PCSD staff members visit all the vendors who showcased their food at the event.
For the past several years, the event has been held at Woodside Event Center at St. Michael's, which has been a great partner to the Foundation, Filipow added.
“We always encourage collaboration and cooperation in our schools and our community,” she explained. “We had more baskets, more contributors, more attendees than before. When we all come together, we can do great things for our kids.”
Save the date for next year: Taste of the Towns will be held on September 27, 2023 at Woodside Event Center at St. Michael’s.
Thank you to every vendor, sponsor, volunteer, and attendee who made this event possible.
View the full photo gallery here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kkGTTc5yU2epfaJfA
