Published in the March 16, 2021 edition.

WAKEFIELD — Thanks to high participation by community members, Wakefield Educational Foundation (WEF) is happy to report that March Madness fundraising events were a huge success!

Thirty-six families participated in Virtual Family Trivia Night on March 5th, emceed by an entertaining Andrew Tetrault, Galvin Middle School assistant principal. Mr. Tetrault’s enthusiasm and energy made for a fun-filled evening of competition. And WCAT’s live broadcast of the event added a unique level of engagement. Special thanks to Mr. Tetrault and the WCAT team for making this event enjoyable for participants and spectators!

After 8 Rounds of questions plus 2 tie-breaker rounds, the event ended in a tie for first place between Team Duvall (Duvall family) and Sherlock Stones (Stone family). Teams were awarded with a trophy, a “WEF Family Trivia Night: WINNER” lawn sign, honey from the Beebe Library, and a big bag of Smarties candy.

Spirit Awards for best costumes, decoration and overall spirit were awarded, with the Socially-distant Superheroes (Cahill family) winning 1st place; the Ski-Meisters (Lannen family) winning 2nd place; and MC DJ Squared (Meuse family) and the Hershey Kisses (Kallay family), tied for 3rd. And finally, the Galvin Middle School was awarded bragging rights for the highest level of participation.

WEF’s Online Auction results were released on Saturday after a 2-week run. Many happy bidders were rewarded with a large variety of items from generous donors, including use of a Florida condo for a week, music lessons at School of Rock in Wakefield, many themed baskets, art photography by local artist Kira Armstrong, and sports collectibles for all major Boston sports teams.

In a year full of challenges, WEF is grateful for the community participation that allows continuance of its mission to provide grants to the Wakefield Public Schools for innovative, creative programs that are otherwise unable to be funded in the current year’s budget.

WEF receives funding from key local business partners, private donors, and a series of annual fundraisers. WEF has awarded over $400,000 across the Wakefield Public Schools since 1989. Learn more by following WEF on Twitter or Facebook, or go to WEF01880.org. Donations can be made online at WEF01880.org/donate.