Celebrating Our First Annual Fall Foodie Fest

On October 20, 2024, Shelter Academy of Light hosted our very first Fall Foodie Fest, a community-based fundraiser designed to kickstart the construction of our primary school’s first buildings. We are so proud of how our community rallied together to make this event a success, and we are deeply moved by the support and generosity we received.

A Heartfelt Thank You
To those who attended or have supported us over the past few months—thank you! It was a privilege to host every guest, and the incredible turnout left us feeling inspired and grateful. For those who couldn’t join us, you were truly missed, and we look forward to seeing you at future events!

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we raised an incredible $49,467 during the event, with an additional $13,000 pledged, bringing the total to over $62,000! These funds will go directly toward building the first two structures of our school, laying the foundation for what we hope will transform lives through education.

Celebrating Community and Gratitude
Fall Foodie Fest wasn’t just about fundraising—it was a celebration of community, hope, and shared purpose. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the partners and sponsors who made this day possible:

Melissa Gilland of Christian Pre-K Prep in Arlington Heights,
Karen McCabe of Coldwell Banker Realty, and
Juliet Skuldt of Berkshire Hathaway Starck Real Estate

We are also incredibly grateful to the Arlington Heights School District 25 team for their generous support, as well as the dedicated students of Prospect High School’s Service Club, led by sponsor Tracy Van Hoy, who worked tirelessly to help make this event a success.

We would like to extend a thank you to our fundraising committee members: Aremi Arroyo, Lynn Feder, Amy Hoffman, Suzanne Krause, Karen McCabe, Grace Sakwa, May Joy Sakwa, Tracy Van Hoy, and Colleen Wytmar, as well as all event volunteers. We offer a special thank you to our impressive emcee Maddie Morrison, and our skilled video producer and event photographer Robyn Minor.

Finally, we would like to extend our deepest thanks to Jennifer Baumeister, whose vision and tireless efforts brought Fall Foodie Fest to life. Your hard work and dedication were instrumental in creating such a memorable event.

Looking Forward
This is just the beginning of our journey, and while there’s more work ahead, we are energized and ready to take the next steps toward our mission. If you’d like to revisit the heart of what Shelter Academy of Light stands for, we invite you to watch our promotional video. (We’re also working on adding subtitles to improve accessibility based on your valuable feedback!) Stay tuned for even more photos from the event—we can’t wait to share them with you!

Thank you again to everyone who showed up, whether in person or in spirit. Together, we’re building more than just school buildings; we’re building brighter futures for children. Here’s to even greater milestones ahead!