San Francisco's Schools of the Sacred Heart has a lot to celebrate. Last month, their annual Celebrate Spring fundraiser was one of the best in the school's 117 year history. Next month, the school is celebrating the opening of its new Siboni Arts & Science Center.

At the end of March, three major events brought the community together: a Friday afternoon Champagne luncheon, boutique and flower market, a Saturday afternoon "Family Festival" of food, games and magic show, followed by the 12th Annual Gala evening event at The Flood Mansion. All three events were chaired this year by Coralee McDermott.

Celebrate Spring Chair, Coralee McDermott

Coralee is the mother of two Stuart Hall boys.

Coralee and her team of forty Committee Chairs along with hundreds of volunteers worked for a year preparing for the school's Celebrate Spring program. Proceeds from the two-day effort will benefit excellent academic programs, promotion of diversity through strong community outreach and scholarship programs. The hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by parents and the community will also go toward developing an outstanding and enthusiastic faculty, and toward providing state-of-the-art facilities through capital improvements intended to enhance the educational experience of children in San Francisco.

Celebrate Spring Easter Baskets

Hundreds of Easter baskets were made by each of the classes and sold at the Garden luncheon and at "Family Fest," the following day.

Elizabeth Shaw, Celebrate Spring's live-auction jewelry model, was also the Co-Chair of the Easter Baskets. Each basket carried a theme. In addition to each class creating the theme-based baskets, six sponsors offered their products including: The Chocolate Bear, Lorenc Lavender Farm, Lunares, Scope City, Tully's Coffee and Diane Wynne's Von Demme.

Garden Lunch Boutique

The Garden Lunch Boutique attracted vendors from as far away as Seattle, Washington. Dante Imports' mother-daughter team, Helen Gleason and Jennifer Hyde, brought exquisite Italian photo albums, frames, leather goods and jewelry to sell. Kindergarten mom and room parent, Lori Johnson-Laxo was responsible for convincing the dynamic duo to spend two days in San Francisco and donate 20% of their revenue to Sacred Heart. The products they sold helped generate thousands of dollars for the school.

Another pair that was a hit at the boutique was "Two Chicks Trying to Survive." Lauren & Marie's $265 tub of first aid gear and survival items (for a family of four) is especially attractive for those of us living in the earthquake-prone city of San Francisco. For anyone who survived the '89 Quake, as we did down in The Marina, we appreciate Lauren and Maria's efforts to create a “911” and “411” product that offers the best possible customized Emergency Kit for singles, couples and families.

One of the favorite vendors at the Garden Luncheon, who was the talk of the Kindergarten moms, was American Girl doll dress designer, Tracy Holcomb. After lunch, a line formed at Tracy's table. The Sacred Heart uniform ($60.76 with tax) she has created along with the Kindergarten apron ($22.78 with tax) was one of the most popular items sold at the boutique. Tracy said, "Of all the fairs I do in Northern California, I enjoy the down-to-earth, approachable Sacred Heart moms the most."

Those interested in purchasing Tracy Holcomb's Convent uniform, apron or both at $83.55 with tax, please call 415.459.6999. For orders placed between now and Monday, May 3rd, Tracy will continue to give 20% of her sales to Schools of the Sacred Heart. Davis Uniform donates the material to the school. Beginning May 3rd, she will begin sewing all orders placed by then for the Convent uniforms and aprons. After May 3rd, she will take custom orders that will be fulfilled after next year's Celebrate Spring.

Thanks to a Sacred Heart high school customer, also at next year's Celebrate Spring, Tracy will be introducing a line of cutting-edge, trendy Tutus for older girls, ages 13-18.

This coming Saturday and Sunday, Tracy will be exhibiting at The Sausalito Spring Fair in Booth 91 which will be situated closed to the children's activities. One way to get your order in by Monday, May 3rd is to go to The Holcomb Booth.

Family Festival

This year's sunny and warm "Family Festival," chaired by Sharon Seto, included games, food and a magic show. Stacy Molano and Alyce Werdel did an incredible job signing up the volunteer parents needed to staff the booths, bbq the burgers and manage the ticket sales.

Many of the kids got to see for the first time the Designer Doll House underwritten by McGuire Real Estate, Jalili International, Huisking Foundation and Dr. and Mrs. Richard Glogau, at "Family Fest." A dozen interior designer moms along with Britex Fabrics' Peter Godeschalk donated their time and resources to create the four-story, eight room designer showcase.

Two of our girls' favorite rooms were Kerri Zaldastani's little girls' bedroom and Celeste LeSage-Gish and Bailey Kraus' kitchen. Of course, everyone oohed and ahhed over Elizabeth Farella's roof terrace, and the thought of their dolls looking out to the Golden Gate Bridge from their deck.

Those in charge of transitioning from Family Fest to the evening Gala had just four hours to transform the The Flood Mansion.

Sacred Heart's 12th Annual Gala Dinner

Celebrate Spring Chair, Coralee McDermott and Gala Dinner Chair, Louise Bluestone greeted their guests, many dressed in black tie and long flowing gowns, as they arrived at The Flood Mansion.

Dinner and drinks were served by generous caterers who donated their services.

Some of the best food of the night was presented by Andy Tonozuka's We Be Sushi, Yank Sing Banquets & Catering, Paula LeDuc, Upton Catering, Estia Greek Eatery and Knight's Catering. Chef Geoff Lazlo of Maureen Kelly's Knight's Catering made Moroccan Chicken Kabobs over sizzling cous cous stir-fry in the Flood's old dining room.

Over 400 parents, teachers, Sacred Heart staff and friends from the community attended the evening Gala which included a live auction led by Dallas auctioneer, T.C. Berryhill.

Mr. Berryhill generously donates his time and energy to two functions a year as a gift to two Convent students. This year, "T.C.B." made himself available to serve as the auctioneer for Celebrate Spring 2004 and the Diabetic Youth Foundation's annual gala, scheduled for this fall.

Advertising Chair, Brenda Bottum & Auctioneer, T.C. Berryhill

In addition to serving as Sacred Heart's auctioneer, T.C. was asked by Sacred Heart and Hamlin mom, Brenda Bottum if he would donate his time to Hamlin's Gala on Friday evening at the Asian Art Museum.

With twenty-six extraordinary gifts and winning bids from parents and extended Sacred Heart family, Mr. Berryhill helped raise slightly more than he had raised the night before for Hamlin.

Jill Stinn, Jeannie Sangiacomo & Susan Butler

Auction Co-Chairs, Jill Stinn and Susan Butler together with Jeannie Sangiacomo were successful in getting two trips to Mexico donated along with a golf adventure to Mayacama, a Healdsburg get-away, a first-class Four Seasons Bella Italia Vacanza in Milano, and a dozen date-night dinners in San Francisco at twelve "rugged elegant" Places of Taste including:

The Financial District's Palio D'Asti on Sacramento, Tommy Toy's on Montgomery and Aqua on California

Presidio Heights' Sociale on Sacramento Street
Garibaldi's on Presidio

Hayes Valley's Absinthe on Hayes Street

Jackson Square's Bix on Gold and Globe Restaurant on Pacific

North Beach's Fior d'Italia on Union Street

South of Market's Town Hall on Howard Street

Winner, Lynn Ehret

One of the live auction winners was Lynn Ehret. Her 1st Grade daughter will have a street named after her for one year - in between Stuart Hall and The Flood Mansion. Lynn, who was the Co-Chair of the Easter Baskets this year, and her husband, Frank donated their Squaw Valley condo and dinner for four at the Balboa Cafe plus four two-day passes during Ski Week 2005. They were also the winners of a Napa Valley get-away together with a 3rd Grade Consortium of parents led by Joe and Karen Niehaus.

Where Berryhill was successful in raising a significant sum for a Hamlin party of thirty at the Getty's home, he nearly tripled that sum for a Sacred Heart dinner for eight, to be created by Jennifer Johnson, former apprentice to Alice Waters -- now the Getty's personal chef.

Following the live auction, the Flood's old dining room filled up fast by those who love to dance.

Sacred Heart is part of an international group of academic institutions directed by the Society of the Sacred Heart, a teaching order founded in France in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. 

Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco was founded in 1887 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart. It is one of the oldest private schools in California.

Other Sacred Heart Schools in the United States' Network in addition to San Francisco's elementary and high school include:

Academy of the Sacred Heart
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Bellevue, Washington

Academy of the Sacred Heart
Grand Coteau, Louisiana

Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
Newton, Massachusetts

Academy of the Sacred Heart
St. Charles, Missouri

Regis School of the Sacred Heart for Boys
Houston, Texas

Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart
Miami, Florida

Sacred Heart Schools
Atherton, California

Convent of the Sacred Heart
Greenwich, Connecticut

Sacred Heart Schools
Chicago, Illinois

Convent of the Sacred Heart
New York City, New York

Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Bethesda, Maryland

The Doane Stuart School
Albany, New York

Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
Princeton, New Jersey

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart
Houston, Texas

Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School
St. Louis, Missouri

Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart
Omaha, Nebraska

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
Lake Forest, Illinois

Congratulations and thank you to all those who made the school's annual fundraiser a huge success!

We look forward to the grand opening of the 39,000 square foot Siboni Arts & Science Center created to enhance the school's science, art and technology programs.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

~Jennifer King