BY JOE HOSHAW Jr.
Supporters of Trenton Public Schools may have been on Grosse Ile last month for the Trenton Educational Foundation’s Signature Event, but they were clearly in a New York state of mind.
That’s because the banquet room decor and the menu at the Grosse Ile Golf and Country Club that evening were fully reflective of the “New York New York” theme planned out in extensive detail by the TEF’s Signature Event Committee.
From SoHo to Chinatown to Broadway, the Big Apple’s culture and cuisine provided the backdrop for the TEF to raise funds to help Trenton students, as well as honor three people who dedicated much of their lives to helping students in years past.
Each year since the Signature Event was started in 2011, the TEF has recognized former students, educators and other community members by adding their plaques to the Wall of Fame inside Trenton High School near the entrance to the Board of Education office.
This year’s inductees included Gerald Brown, George Mans and Vincent “Joe” Porreca, three community leaders who each contributed to the improvement of local education in multiple ways.
Brown, perhaps best remembered as Trenton’s former mayor, serving from 2001 to 2011, was also a former longtime member of the Trenton School Board.
The only former educator among the three new inductees, Mans compiled a resume that included serving the community as mayor and as its representative in the Michigan House of Representatives. Porreca also served in Lansing and state representative and a strong advocate for education and the city’s schools.
During the course of the evening, TEF Chair Kellee Howey also recognized the most recent group of Trenton teachers to apply for and receive grants from the foundation, which served as a funding source for curriculum “extras” not provided for in traditional public funding.
The Wall of Fame was established in conjunction with the creation of the Signature Event, which has become the TEF’s key annual fundraising activity.
The Wall is intended to honor men and women who have made significant and lasting contributions to the quality of education in Trenton, as well as Trenton High School graduates who have distinguished themselves in their professions.
The TEF holds other events throughout the year intended to both raise funds and its visibility in the community. It also conducts an annual fund drive.
To date, 17 people have been included on the Wall of Fame.
The 14 previous inductees to the Wall of Fame include Boyd Arthurs, Neil Van Riper, William C. Taylor and Richard Hedke, all of whom were honored posthumously, along with John “Jack” Doyle, Randy Wiseman, Jack Kripowicz, Larry Leapley, J.J. Putz, Lonnie Shea, Donald Kolcheff, Andy Greene, Carol Oakley and Ronald Sams.
TEF was established in 2008 through a partnership of community leaders from various organizations. All levels of Trenton public education are helped by the organization’s efforts. The Foundation funds six integral areas of education: cultural enrichment, scholastic enrichment, arts and education, technology and learning, continuing education and professional development.
The TEF is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Its stated mission is to help achieve and maintain an “extra margin of excellence.” The TEF is an independent entity, not affiliated with the Trenton Board of Education.
For more information about the TEF and for full details on grants that have been awarded, visit www.trentonedfoundation.org. Also, see Page 12-B inside the Schools Section of this month’s Trib for an article on the TEF fall grant recipients.