The New Richmond Schools Education Foundation’s inaugural homecoming tailgate and parade viewing party was held in conjunction with New Richmond High School’s homecoming events on Sept. 29, 2017. Photos provided.

The New Richmond Schools Education Foundation’s inaugural homecoming tailgate and parade viewing party was held in conjunction with New Richmond High School’s homecoming events on Sept. 29, 2017. Photos provided.

By Megan Alley
Sun staff

Organizers of New Richmond Schools Education Foundation’s inaugural homecoming tailgate and parade viewing party, held in conjunction with New Richmond High School’s homecoming events on Sept. 29, said the event was a success.

Alumni and friends of New Richmond Exempted Village School District were invited to attend the “casual meet-and-greet,” which was held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the grandstand located at 116 Susanna Way.

“We estimate that about 100 people attended our inaugural tailgate and parade viewing party,” Ursula Thomas Miller, executive director for the foundation, said in an email. “We were very happy with the turnout.”

She added, “It was right on target with our expectations for a first-time event …. A mix of community members, students, families of students, board of education members and alumni of NRHS attended.”

The event featured complimentary home-cooked barbecue, fresh fruit, pizza and giveaways.

“We are thankful for the generosity of our business and corporate donors in New Richmond, Anderson and Mt. Washington who helped fund our food and raffle items and support our grass-roots marketing effort,” Miller said in an email.

Event donors included designer Kim Hanrahan, a NRHS alumna, Summit Meats, Snappy Tomato Pizza, Grove Park Grille, Belterra, Rivertown IGA, Country Fresh Produce, M.E. Lyons YMCA and Geni’s Styling Salon.

The recently formed New Richmond Schools Education Foundation, which obtained its tax-exempt status from the IRS in 2014, is an all-volunteer organization with 10 board members and another 15 to 20 project/event-specific volunteers.

The goal of the foundation is to conduct an annual fundraising campaign to help build an endowment and to provide additional resources for academic and extra-curricular programs that benefit the school district, according to Miller.

So far, the foundation has raised nearly $50,000 via outside grants and corporate donations.

“The tailgate this past Friday was our first sizable public event since our pumpkin chuck contest and festival as part of New Richmond’s bicentennial bash weekend in September 2014,” Miller said in an email.

Miller added, “Since then, we have been working behind the scenes to support New Richmond Middle School’s award-winning Science Olympiad team, to develop a database and also the school district’s first-ever professionally published alumni directory.”

The 2017 edition of the NRHS alumni directory will be available for purchase next summer.

“Going forward, we plan to participate in more school and public events and do more consistent outreach to raise awareness of our foundation,” Miller said in an email.

The group is working on a website that they plan to launch later this fall.

For more information about the New Richmond Schools Education Foundation and to stay updated on their regular activities, please visit the group’s Facebook page online at www.facebook.com/nrschoolseducationfoundation.