Learn about writing from Piedmont author Kelly Corrigan, enjoy live music at Bajapalooza, dust off your cowboy hats for the Piedmont Hoedown, and nibble and sip at a sommelier class at Local Café on Piedmont Avenue.

Sign up now for one of the few spots left at these and other fabulous Spring Fling parent parties. Even though these are parent parties, the proceeds are all for the children—if the remaining spots are sold we’ll raise an additional $20,000 for the elementary schools!

Don’t miss out! Sign-ups close on the last day of school. Click on the pink Auction Site button on the right and then on Parent Parties in the left column to secure your spot now.

We had an incredible team of volunteers this year—a mix of veterans and new faces from all three elementary schools—led by Brigid Gaffikin at Beach, Anne Callahan, Nicki Gilbert and Samantha Miller at Havens, and Nancy Steimle at Wildwood. All of these amazing women dedicated countless hours, and considerable talent, to making last Saturday night a smashing success.

We’d like to thank the flappers—the grade reps from each school—for generating enthusiasm, spreading the word about Spring Fling and helping parents understand the importance of this event to our community and how they can get involved. Thanks to the Spring Fling Committee for all of their hard work behind the scenes, from data entry to runners, to day of setup crew and night of team, and the countless other tasks involved in making this all run smoothly.

We’d also like to thank the parent club presidents, grandparent club members, art coordinators, dads’ clubs, principals, and teachers for their support of Spring Fling. Thank you to our fundraising office—Julia Burke, Patty Dunlap, and Beth Porter—for their tireless support and invaluable advice.

Thanks to all of our sponsors, who generously underwrote the costs of this event, including our cocktail sponsors and band sponsors. And thank you to all the donors who opened up their vacation homes, wine cellars, and VIP tickets to help us put together an incredible auction catalog. This event couldn’t happen without you.

Thanks to Charlie Denison for his amazing graphic design that brought out the inner flapper in all of us. Brian Molyneaux captured the smiling faces of kindergarteners and fifth graders for Comings and Goings along with parents decked out in Gatsby gear. Maria Holmes designed the beautiful parent party boards and silent auction posters. Rob Williamson and his talented team used their creative genius to make yet another hilarious video.

Gray Cathrall’s support as editor of the Piedmont Post and as a musician with Shades of Gray was invaluable. Piedmont Center for the Arts graciously hosted our first-ever class creations reception. And Mulberry’s stepped in time and time again to offer support generously whenever asked, including donating all of the wine (including premium wine) to the event.

The list above is just the tip of the iceberg. It truly does take a village to make Spring Fling happen, and we are honored and thankful to live in this village called Piedmont, and to be part of this amazing community.

Cathy Girr and Lesley Zalewski
Spring Fling Co-Chairs

Now’s the time to go to the online auction and place your bids for some of the fabulous items up for grabs — including a trio of delicious gourmet jam.

Savor a trio of three seasonal jams brimming with locally sourced and organic fruit and delivered to your doorstep throughout the year. Ten trios are available in the Food & Wine section of the auction. Varieties may include but are not limited to Blenheim Apricot, Strawberry, Plum & Vanilla, Quince & Bay Laurel, Olallieberry & Apple, Fig & Ginger, and Warren Pear.

The Piedmont parents who attended had many reasons to celebrate—most importantly, that together they have raised more than $82,000 in sponsorships for this year’s Spring Fling.

“This community is so generous. It’s clear that everyone is committed to our children’s education and to maintaining vital programs in our schools,” said Lesley Zalewski, Spring Fling Co-Chair.

Added fellow Co-Chair Cathy Girr, “I’m amazed by the tremendous response from our community. The tradition of giving is alive and well in Piedmont, and seeing new faces tonight alongside people who contribute year after year means that this tradition will continue to grow.”

Sponsorship is just one way to contribute. Another way people can do their thing for Spring Fling is to bid online on great getaways, tickets to Bay Area teams, a wide range of fabulous parent parties, restaurant gift certificates, kid stuff, and more. The Spring Fling Online Auction is open now and runs through 10 p.m., Friday, May 4 at http://piedmontspringfling.org. Visitors to the Spring Fling website can also preview the incredible experiences and unique items that will be offered during the live and silent auctions at Spring Fling—Great Gatsby on Saturday, May 5.

For more information and to bid online, visit http://piedmontspringfling.org.

Bid at the online auction now for this fabulous opportunity to freshen up your home!

And don’t forget — the online auction closes tomorrow, Friday May 4, at 10 p.m.

In the heart of the East Bay, at JC Cellars in Jack London Square, you and five friends can spend an afternoon learning about terroir, barrel selections, yeast, punch downs, and other fascinating aspects of winemaking in an urban setting.

The JC Cellars tasting is available at the online auction site through Friday!

Just across the water, in a former airplane hangar in Alameda, St. George is a favorite of vodka connoisseurs for its Hangar One line of vodkas. This distillery is also one of the first to reintroduce absinthe. Bid on the St. George tasting tour for you and three friends now at the online auction site!

This rustic, kid-friendly home has an open kitchen, dining area, living room, two bedrooms with queen beds, and one bath on the main level. Downstairs there is a third bedroom with two twin beds and a second living room with a pool table, piano, and sofa sleeper.

Bid at the Great Gatsby silent auction on May 5 — but take a peek now and learn more at the Spring Fling auction site!

Piedmont Harvest Festival prizewinner and Beach mom Maria Holmes’ cakes not only look incredible, they taste absolutely delicious. Let your imagination soar — Maria will create a tiered or sculpted cake for you baked from scratch using organic and local ingredients.

Your delectable dessert centerpiece can be virtually any flavor. Tried-and-true recipes favor the European layer cake tradition, with pastry crème, dark chocolate, and liqueurs often being key ingredients. Choose your own theme or colors to generate ideas, or send a picture of the object you’d like reproduced in cake.

Your guests will be amazed!

At 4 bedrooms and 3 baths, the Callahan-Harris family cabin in Tahoe Donner sleeps 10 comfortably and is perfect for two families.

Located just minutes off the I-80 freeway, the cabin is four minutes to the local Tahoe Donner Ski Resort and a short drive to Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Boreal, and Northstar. If you need a little retail therapy after all that snow activity, enjoy the shops of Old Town Truckee and the restaurants and amenities of the Tahoe Donner Association.

Cabin equipped with wifi and cable.

Ready to bid? Go to the Spring Fling auction site now!

Last year’s concert featured the awesome The Welcome Matt — this year’s concert will be held at The Wooden Duck in Berkeley, and two performers will be a surprise! (Who could they be?! We’ll never tell.)

To find out, join us on The Wooden Duck’s expansive outdoor patio complete with stage and bar. We’ll have great food, cold drinks, twinkling lights, incredible music, and tons of fun.

Buy tickets online now at the Spring Fling auction website!