Blake High School PTSA

PTSA Silent Auction & Dinner
May 7, 2010

The 2010 PTSA Auction is in full swing!  While Blake families have recently received letters, over 700 business letters went out in early February.  We are both excited and grateful at the overwhelming response Blake has seen from the business community.  To date we have over 100 donations that cross the spectrum of the imagination!

We’ll be offering a weekly update, to include news about Online Auction activity … so watch here for new information!

This Week’s Auction Offerings: “Sneak-Peek”

•  Guided White-Water Rafting Tour for 2 on the Lower Yough! (Youghiogheny River) – from Wilderness Voyageurs, Inc.
•  Executive Courtesy Passes for 4 to the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum of Baltimore.
•  Gift Card valued at $250.00 from Dave & Busters of Rockville.
•  Wine Tasting & Tour for 10 Adults from Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards & Winery.

Volunteers and Donations Still Needed
• Donations, Donations, Donations -
— Do you have a talent, a business service or a gift you’re willing to contribute?
— Have a favorite gym, store, restaurant or hobby?
Then download our Auction Donation/Sponsorship Form (and please, feel free to copy and share!).  Need an Auction Letter for a Community Business or Organization, you can download this too! Read more »

We are gratefully accepting contributions of the following items for the Blake PTSA Used Book and Media Sale, which will be held on February 19-21, 2010, at 742 Cloverly St. in the Cloverly Shopping Center:

New or gently used books (hardcover and paperback)—fiction, nonfiction, mystery, science fiction, romance, young adult, children’s, cookbooks, history, politics, health, test prep, foreign language, other

Other media—CDs, DVDs, books on tape, videos, comics, manga

Donation opportunities
At the store: Donations may be brought directly to the store on drop-off days, the first of which is scheduled for this coming Saturday, January 30, from 10 to 1. People will be available to unload your car at the curb in front of the store in Cloverly and, on request, give you a donation receipt.

Donations may be carried into the store Thursday, January 28, 4-7 pm.

At school: Donations may be brought to the Blake High School main office (300 Norwood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20905).

For more information, contact Orit at 301-384-3324, 240-460-1534, or oritilATyahooDOTcom.

Blake’s 2010 Used Book and Media Sale
Place: Cloverly Shopping Center (742 Cloverly St., Silver Spring, Md.)
Dates: February 19, 2-8 pm; February 20, 10-8 pm; February 21, 11-5

Other dates:
We will also be moving books from the school storage shed to the store on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 26 after school. Anyone who can help load or unload the truck would be greatly appreciated. Students too.

Our first book-sorting party will take place this Thursday, January 28, from 4 to 7 (and later, if anyone wants to keep going) at the store in Cloverly Shopping Center (742 Cloverly St.). If you have a folding table you could loan for that day or for the month, please bring it along–we should try to avoid having to bend over too much to sort the books. Please pass the word along to family, friends, people you see on the street, etc. We can use all the help we can get.

Also,  we’ll be collecting books, DVDs, CDs, and other media at the store on Saturday, January 30, from 10 to 1. All you need to do is pull up in your car, and someone will take your boxes and bags out for you.

Volunteer and SSL opportunities: This undertaking offers many SSL opportunities for students, particularly on drop-off days, during the sale, and immediately after the sale. Have your students contact Ms. Rigney at school or Orit Lowy Chicherio (oritilATyahooDOTcom) if they’d like to help out.

If you’re wondering what to do with all the books, movies, and music you had to clear out to make room for your guests and new stuff, we have a perfect solution! Stash all those things away for the 3rd annual Blake High School Used Book and Media Sale. After the first of the year, we’ll be collecting your donations for this worthy PTSA event, which raises money for scholarships for our students. The sale will take place on February 19-21. Please contact Orit Lowy Chicherio if you have questions or donations (oritilATyahooDOTcom).

The winter holidays are approaching quickly. What better way to say thanks to the Blake Staff then to bake a batch of delicious cookies for them? The PTSA will celebrate on Thursday December 17th during lunch with a Cookie Fest. Please send in cookies that morning to the office with your name and the recipe.

Volunteers are needed on that day to help set up and clean up, 10am – 1pm. Let us know how you can help!! Contact Patrice Kelly and Cathy Clark, coordinators, at kellychirigosATaolDOTcom.

The Silent Auction committee will be meeting on Monday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. in the Career Counseling Center.  Help is needed to stuff envelopes and send out letters.  All are welcome.

Would you like to help the PTSA but can’t make a regular commitment to join a committee? Watch this space for occasional announcements for volunteer opportunities. We occasionally need parents to help stuff envelopes, sell pizza, or set up for PTSA events, etc., all requiring only a few hours or your time. It’s a great way to help your school and meet other Blake parents.