Gourmet food along and an evening of private shopping was again a winning combination during the 11th annual ACE Night gathering at Macy's on Sunday.
More than 200 people attended the yearly event that is the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation's primary fund-raiser to benefit the Assisting Children's Education Fund.
In 2006, the ACE Fund of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation awarded more than $20,000 in grants to Traverse City Area Public Schools teachers for special programs within the classroom that are not funded through the district's operating budget.
Since 1995, the ACE Fund has awarded more than $200,000 to TCAPS supporting a variety of programs to help students and teachers develop and implement innovative ideas that are student focused, curriculum based and promote academic excellence.
"I really appreciate all the hard work that these people put in. I would never have been able to afford this wonderful program for my classroom without the grant," said Judy Phillips, whose grant award purchased a History Alive! program for use in her classroom at Traverse City Central High School.
Recipients of the 2006 grants are:
Traverse City Central High
• History Alive! The Ancient World - $855
• FIRST Lego League - $1,500
• Digital Imaging - $831.13
• Skills Streaming Class - $1,500
Interlochen Elementary
• Equitable Learning/Tech Enhancement - $1,200
Norris Elementary
• America...The Building of Our Nation - $1,500
• New Heights Reading Fluency for English - $700
East Junior High
• Building Understanding with Legos - $1,453
• African Research Project - $190
• Trojan TV - $1,055
• Batteries Not Required - $431.06
West Junior High
• Hot Wheels Math - $950.55
• ESL Individual Reading Program - $697.78
• ESL Reading and Writing - $205.98
• Broadcast Studio Upgrade - $159.98
West Senior High
• Mathematical Lens Project - $1,280
Traverse Heights
• Machine Mania - $502.80
Westwoods Elementary
• Knights of the Westwood Chess Club - $350
• Alpha Smart Recharged - $716.95
• Multi Media Projector - $1038.39
Willow Hill Elementary
• Literature Links - $1415.22
• Authors on Wheels - $1496.97