CDS supporters masquerade around Downtown to celebrate
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CDS supporters masquerade around Downtown to celebrate

By Lindsay Dill February 13, 2013, 8:10 pm 0 Edit

Nearly 300 people masqueraded around the top floor of the Omni William Penn Hotel, Saturday, Feb. 9, to dance, celebrate and wish mazel tov to Community Day School, its students, teachers, volunteers and community supporters.

The occasion was Community Day School’s third annual winter gala. Board members and the community, including volunteers, teachers and parents, gathered dressed for a masquerade to celebrate the school, its students and the future of CDS.

“We want to celebrate the school itself, and everyone that’s involved with its success,” Head of School Avi Baran Munro said. “We also know people want to come here just to have a good time.”

The event’s admission tickets and raffle proceeds raised over $110,000 this year. Munro said the annual event is not the largest, but definitely a significant source of funds for the school’s $1 million annual budget. All money raised for the budget from this event and other efforts supports the school’s general operating costs, student scholarship needs and efforts toward academic excellence.

Much of the school’s success, Munro said, comes not only from teachers, parents and students, but also from volunteers, community members and alumni. To celebrate those supporters, the school gave away three awards:

• The Leadership Award went to First Niagara Bank for supporting the school’s education initiatives and their scholarship funds;

• The Volunteer of the Year award went to parent Janice Bahary for being a supportive board member and volunteer; and

• Sylvia and Sidney Busis received the Lifetime Achievement Award and were the “shining stars” of the evening, according to the program.

“I’m very impressed with the students and even more impressed with the teachers,” Sidney Busis said. Munro said the Lifetime Achievement Award was created just for Sylvia and Sydney Busis, who won the Leadership Award in 2011, because of their continued support for the school.

“We have to realize that what is important is preparing our children for life in the real world,” Sylvia Busis said. “We love the school, and we’re not going to walk away from it just because we will no longer have grandchildren attending it.”

(Lindsay Dill can be reached at lcdill7990@gmail.com.)

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