Event will Feature

• Live Music by Webby D (As seen at the 2016 Business Opportunity Fair – Back by Popular Demand!)
• Delicious food served by Feeding the Multitudes Catering
• Cold Drinks provided by MillerCoors
• Silent Auction
• Supply Drive for Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT)
• Complimentary Champagne Toast 

 

Silent Auction: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Auction Items

• Banneker Wrist Watch
• $400 Wholesale Voucher – Samsonite Luggage
• 4some at Arrowhead Golf Club
• 3-month membership to the Denver Athletic Club
• Remote Control Harley Davidson Motorcycle
• Exclusive Dinner for two with bottle of wine served by the Denver Athletic Club Executive Chef
• Exclusive Dinner for two served by the Executive Chef of Wystone’s World Teas
• Designer Boots
• German Chocolate Cake by Angel Heavenly Deserts
• Red Velvet Cake by Angel Heavenly Deserts
• “Movie Night” Gift Basket
• “Night in” Gift Basket
• “Hot Cocoa” Basket
• Pivot: The Art and Science of Reinventing your Career and Life by Adam Markel
•  Baking Gift Basket
• Rapids Scarf
• Assorted Gift Cards
• New items will be announced as the event approaches!

Supply Drive for Resource Area For Teaching (RAFT)

Items Teachers Need

Items RAFT Will Not Accept

Manufacturing and packaging materials (new and used – especially cornstarch packing peanuts) Manufacturing surplus, such as plexiglass, rubber and vinyl Office supplies of all kinds (but no binders bigger than 2″ please) Art supplies of all kinds Fabric and foam remnants Promotional Items, (e.g. balloons, buttons, t-shirts, mugs, key rings, water bottles, etc.) Plastics Medical and Lab Equipment Hardware supplies Wire and magnets CD jewel cases Bottle caps and corks Containers and tubes Restaurant supplies Electronics Party supplies

Dirty, hazardous or contaminated items Containers that once held vitamins or medications Containers that once held soap, bleach or petroleum products Sharp items, such as needles or metal/glass fragments Large furniture items, such as desks or partitions Household items, such as clothes, appliances, or housewares Computer equipment Textbooks Two-dimensional, homemade teaching materials

What is RAFT?

RAFT connects thousands of Colorado teachers . . .

At RAFT, teachers come first. RAFT serves a diverse group of educators working with all ages of students in a wide assortment of educational settings. Some of these educators come into RAFT needing as little guidance as being pointed in the direction of a certain material, while others need as much support as creating lesson plans for the next month.  No matter what the member requires, RAFT’s warm and knowledgeable staff can provide them with personalized coaching and support and we treat each member with gratitude and respect.

. . . with inspiration and affordable resources . . .

When teachers visit our vibrant resource center in the heart of the Denver metro area, we inspire them with endless rows of practically free materials, creative project ideas, and a staff who treats each member with gratitude and respect.

Teachers spend an average of $500 of their own money every year on classroom materials. RAFT keeps its services affordable by creating amazing community collaborations that benefit both educators and the environment. RAFT gathers unwanted items from local businesses and upcycles them into interesting and unique learning activities. Last year, we diverted almost 30,000 cubic feet of waste from landfills in Colorado. Each year, hundreds of volunteers provide thousands of hours of time sorting these materials and packaging them into engaging activity kits.

RAFT offers personal coaching, practical workshops, inspiring institutes, and interactive events. These professional learning experiences are designed to help teachers unlock the magic of everyday materials to provide kids with hands-on learning opportunities that are fun, engaging, and academically rigorous.

RAFT is deeply committed to investing the time and money necessary to employ a highly trained, incredibly talented and innovative staff of current and former educators to create curriculum and ideas and to provide personalized coaching.  RAFT is unique in that it provides teachers with high-level coaching and support at no extra cost.  We serve thousands of teachers from all walks of education who have benefitted from this informal professional development program.

. . . to help students work, think, innovate and learn creatively.

RAFT activities and materials reached over 200,000 students last year. RAFT serves educators across the educational spectrum, meaning kids of all ages and backgrounds received the benefit of our innovative programming. RAFT’s vast array of content-rich activities and practically free materials save teachers time, energy, and money, allowing them to focus their resources on their students. By making high level projects and supplies so incredibly affordable, RAFT is able to ensure more students are exposed to quality hands-on learning opportunities, including those from under resourced schools and districts.

While our primary focus is certainly supporting teachers, RAFT also does some work directly with kids. Through our student field trip program, appearing at educational events, workshops for home school families, and more, RAFT directly works with hundreds of kids each year. Whether through our members or directly, RAFT makes a powerful impact on Colorado kids.