2024 MEF Jeans & Jerseys Gala enjoyed by fans of football and education!

by | Nov 13, 2024

2024 MEF Jeans & Jerseys Gala enjoyed by fans of football and education!

Sponsors | Gallery

The Merrillville Education Foundation hosted its Jeans and Jerseys Gala on October 27, 2024, at the Croatian Center in Merrillville. It was a great afternoon filled with fun tailgate food, exceptional beer, wine and spirits tasting, basket raffles, friendly fellowship, and football games to watch while attendees wore their favorite team jerseys. Everyone enjoyed themselves, plus we raised funds to continue our mission!

2024 MEF Jeans & Jerseys Gala Sponsors
Many thanks to our sponsors of the 2024 MEF Gala! With your support, the Foundation continues to provide unique and valuable education opportunities for Merrillville students.

Our heartfelt gratitude to the following sponsors for “Making a Difference”

Platinum Level – $1000
Performance Services, Inc. – www.performanceservices.com

Gold Level – $500
Corvirtus, Inc., Jennifer Yugo – www.corvirtus.com
Dominic Nicolini/Orchard Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley – www.advisor.morganstanley.com/dominic.nicolini
Puntillo & Crane Orthodontics PC –  www.puntilloortho.com

Silver Level – $250-$499
Andrew Draper/Prudential Financial –  www.prudential.com/advisor/andrew-draper
Dr. Dexter Suggs and Dr. Shenia Suggs
DVG Team, Inc. –  www.dvgteam.com
Family Express –  www.familyexpress.com
Seller Dentistry PC – www.sellerdentistry.com
Sharp School Services – www.sharpschoolservices.com

Bronze Level – $101 – $249
Acme Print Copy Design – www.acmeprintcopydesign.com
Art Hill Ford Lincoln – www.arthillford.com
Catch Restaurant, Merrillville – www.catch22nwi.com
Centier Bank – www.centier.com
DeLena Thomas
Merrillville Lions Club –  www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/merrillville/index.php

Purple Level – $100
Barrick Real Estate Group – www.dbarrick.coldwellhomes.com
McMahon & Associates, CPA’s –  www.mcmahonpc.com
Tony & Allyson Lux

Our heartfelt gratitude to the following Business and Patron Gift Donations for “Making a Difference”

Other Past Fundraising News

6th Annual MEF Walk-A-Thon is a great success!

The Merrillville Education Foundation sponsored its 6th Annual Walk-A-Thon on October 7, 2023, at the Merrillville High School Soccer/Track and Field Area. It was another great day!

Albanese Candy
Angie’s Restaurant
Asparagus Restaurant
Barb Orelup & Kathy Martin
Bullpen Luxury Bar & Grill
Catch Restaurant
Chick-fil-A Restaurant
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
Costco
Culver’s Restaurant
Custom Data Services
Cute as a Cupcake
Doreen Lumbarkoski
Fiori Italian Restaurant
Gail Nicolini
Gino’s Steakhouse Restaurant
Gordon Food Service
Harvest Tyme Family Farm
Innsbrook Country Club
Lori Govert
Maple and Bacon Restaurant

Marisa Smoljan
Mary Hoffman
Maxim’s Restaurant
McDonalds – Modrak Group
Nancy and Andy Draper
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Off Square Brewing
Piccolo Sogno Restaurant
Public Bar & Rec/Cheese Almighty
Radius Restaurant
Republic National Distributing Company
Simon Sez Restaurant
Sky Zone
Terrell Taylor
The Yoga Room
Tina Davis-Powell
Turkey Creek Golf Course
Up Your Alley
Urban Air Adventure & Trampoline Park
Zig-E’s Funland

Join us at the MEF Jeans & Jerseys Gala on October 27

by | Sep 13, 2024

The “Jeans & Jerseys Gala” sponsored by The Merrillville Education Foundation will be held on Sunday, October 27, 2024, from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM at The Croatian Center in Merrillville for adults 21 and over. The Center is located at 8550 Taft Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.

This fun daytime event will be filled with tailgate food, exceptional beer, wine and spirits tasting, basket raffles, and friendly fellowship, with a variety of football games available for viewing. A cash and credit bar will also be on tap.

Wear your favorite team’s jersey while supporting the MEF in a relaxing atmosphere! Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased from Give Lively. Opportunities for sponsorships, table sponsors, and reserved tables for 8-10 are also available at the Give Lively website.

The mission of the Merrillville Education Foundation is to be the primary private sector partner in supporting public education in Merrillville. Grants provided by the MEF offer resources that are not available through public education funding. Over the past 23 years, we have funded 495 grants and other programs totaling close to $420,000 and impacting over 133,000 students in the Merrillville schools from pre-school through high school. The grants are chosen based on their innovative approach and their educational contribution. By attending the MEF “Jeans & Jerseys Gala”, you will help us continue this mission for many more years to come!

If you cannot attend, but would still like to support the MEF, you can make a contribution at the Give Lively link or on our website through PayPal.

Download the printable MEF Gala Flyer to share…

Register Now for the 6th Annual MEF Walk-A-Thon set for Saturday, October 7, 2023!

by | Aug 7, 2023

The Merrillville Education Foundation invites you to participate in our 6th Annual MEF Walk-a-Thon fundraiser on Saturday, October 7, 2023! Participants in the “Better Health, Better Minds” event will be walking at Merrillville High School to raise funds for MEF teacher grants.

DOWNLOAD YOUR REGISTRATION FORM HERE or CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE. Join us for a day of prizes, food, exercise and fun, while supporting new education opportunities for Merrillville Community School students.

2023 MEF Walk-a-Thon Details:

2023 Sponsorship Opportunities

We are asking for help from community businesses and school patrons to partner with us in this worthwhile endeavor. Please consider contributing in one or more ways to help our cause.

To view suggested sponsorship opportunities, CLICK/TAP HERE for our information letter.
We also need gift cards/gift certificates for Walk-a-Thon participant prizes.

Thank you for joining many others in going the extra mile in support of our students, our schools, and our community. Your financial support at whatever level you choose will be greatly appreciated!
  • Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and walking will begin at 9:00 a.m.
  • Location of the walk will be at the Merrillville High School Soccer/Track & Field Area (east of the football stadium). In case of rain, we will walk in the MHS Field House.
  • Minimum participation donation is $10.00 for ages 5 and up.
  • EVERY participant must submit a signed event disclaimer in order to walk in the event.
  • Participants are asked to walk one mile, but can choose to walk more if they wish.
  • T-shirts for ages 5 years and older will be given to each participant who raises/brings in at least $20.00 in sponsorship donations and submits the registration form and donations to your school’s office by Wednesday, September 20, 2023. Late registration and additional funding may be turned in on the day of the event, but no T-shirt can be guaranteed. Additional T-shirts will be available to purchase on Saturday, October 7th, while supplies last.
  • Participants will receive one raffle ticket for a chance to win a door prize on the event day. The raffle ticket will be given at the time of registration on October 7th.
  • If you raise $100 or more, you are guaranteed a prize! The student who raises the most money will get first choice of the available prizes.
  • This is a family-friendly event open to EVERYONE in the community. Please join us! However, if you are unable to participate, please consider making a donation to MEF at Give Lively (scroll down at Give Lively for donation options).
  • Sponsorship Opportunities: We are asking help from community businesses and school patrons to partner with us in this worthwhile endeavor.  Suggested sponsorship opportunities can be found in our information letter.  We also need gift cards/gift certificates for prizes.  Please consider contributing in one or more ways to help our cause.  Thank you for joining many others in going the extra mile in support of our students, our schools, and our community. Your financial support at whatever level you choose will be greatly appreciated!


We hope that this will continue to be a huge community event so we can continue to provide impactful grants that enhance our students’ learning experiences. Teacher grants are awarded semi-annually by the Foundation.

2023 MEF Gala Hops & Vino Festival 2.0 enjoyed by many!

by | May 15, 2023

2023 MEF Gala Hops & Vino Festival 2.0 enjoyed by many!

The Merrillville Education Foundation hosted the Hops and Vino Gala 2.0 at Avalon Manor on April 21, 2023. It was a great evening and everyone enjoyed themselves, plus we raised funds to continue our mission!

2023 MEF Gala Sponsors
Many thanks to our sponsors of the 2023 MEF Gala! With your support, the Foundation continues to provide unique and valuable education opportunities for Merrillville students.

Silver Star Sponsorship – $500
Andrew Draper/Prudential Financial
Centier Bank – Merrillville Branches
Dominic Nicolini/Orchard Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley

Bronze Star Sponsorship – $250
Catch Table & Tap Restaurant

Purple Star Sponsorship – $150
DeLena Thomas
Pickle Time of Crown Point

Table Sponsorship – $100
David Barrick/Coldwell Banker Realty
Joe and Annette Allegretti
Linda Jonaitis
Marissa and Scott Smoljan
Mike Hadt/Capital Mangement Group at Oak Partners, Inc.

 

Business and Patron Gift Donations

Albanese Confectionery Group
Andrew Draper
Asparagus Restaurant
Barb Orelup
BJ Brewhouse
Catch Table and Tap Restaurant
Chick-fil-A of Merrillville
Custom Data Services/ Chris Govert, Adam Mlynarcik, Adam Pardune
Dorine Lumbarkoski
Gail Nicolini
Gina Nicolini
Innsbrook Country Club
Kathy Martin
Kim and Steve Coppolillo
Lindsey Megyesi
Lori and Chris Govert
Marisa and Scott Smoljan
Mary Hoffman
Maxim’s Restaurant
McMahon & Associates, CPA’s, P.C.

 

Merrillville Auto Zone
Merrillville Discount Tire
Merrillville Happy Car Wash
Merrillville Take 5 Oil Change
Mike and Micky Zolfo/ The Yoga Room
Morgan Mechanical Systems, Inc.
Nancy Draper
Piccolo Sogno Restaurant
Pickle Time of Crown Point
Red Lobster – Merrillville
Republic National Distributing Company
Riste Ristevski
Sherron Pampalone
Sophia’s Famous Pancakes
Steve Govert
The Exercise Coach
Tillena Eddie-Castleberry
Tristan Facer – Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
Turkey Creek Golf Course
Wellness Retreats
Youche Country Club

Other Past Fundraising News

6th Annual MEF Walk-A-Thon is a great success!

The Merrillville Education Foundation sponsored its 6th Annual Walk-A-Thon on October 7, 2023, at the Merrillville High School Soccer/Track and Field Area. It was another great day!

Join us at the MEF Hops and Vino Gala 2.0 set for April 21, 2023

by | Feb 2, 2023

The “Hops and Vino Gala 2.0” sponsored by The Merrillville Education Foundation will be held on Friday, April 21, 2023, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Avalon Manor in Merrillville for adults 21 and over.

The evening will be filled with gourmet food stations, exceptional beer, wine, and bourbon tasting, basket raffles and friendly fellowship in a relaxing atmosphere of fun and music. View the photo gallery from last year’s Hops and Vino Gala…

Tickets are only $40 per person and can be purchased from Give Lively at: https://secure.givelively.org/event/merrillville-education-foundation-inc/2023-hops-and-vino-gala-2-0.

The mission of the Merrillville Education Foundation is to be the primary private sector partner in supporting public education in Merrillville. Grants provided by the MEF offer resources that are not available through public education funding. Over the past years, we have funded over 465 grants totaling over $398,000. These grants have impacted over 126,000 students in the Merrillville schools from kindergarten through high school. The grants are chosen based on their innovative approach and their educational contribution. By attending “Hops and Vino Gala 2.0”, you will help us continue this mission for many more years to come!

If you cannot attend, but would still like to support the MEF, you can make a contribution at the Give Lively link or on our website through PayPal.

Download the printable MEF Gala Flyer to share…

Register now for the 5th Annual MEF Walk-A-Thon set for October 8, 2022

by | Jul 28, 2022

The Merrillville Education Foundation invites you to participate in our 5th Annual MEF Walk-a-Thon fundraiser on Saturday, October 8, 2022! Participants in the “Better Health, Better Minds” event will be walking at Merrillville High School to raise funds for MEF teacher grants.

DOWNLOAD YOUR REGISTRATION FORM HERE or CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE. Join us for a day of prizes, food, exercise and fun, while supporting new education opportunities for Merrillville Community School students.

2022 MEF Walk-a-Thon Details:

2022 Sponsorship Opportunities

We are asking for help from community businesses and school patrons to partner with us in this worthwhile endeavor. Please consider contributing in one or more ways to help our cause.

To view suggested sponsorship opportunities, CLICK/TAP HERE for our information letter.
We also need gift cards/gift certificates for Walk-a-Thon participant prizes.

Thank you for joining many others in going the extra mile in support of our students, our schools, and our community. Your financial support at whatever level you choose will be greatly appreciated!
  • Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and walking will begin at 9:00 a.m.
  • Location of the walk will be at the Merrillville High School Soccer/Track & Field Area (east of the football stadium). In case of rain, we will walk in the MHS Field House.
  • Minimum participation donation is $10.00 for ages 5 and up.
  • EVERY participant must submit a signed event disclaimer in order to walk in the event.
  • Participants are asked to walk one mile, but can choose to walk more if they wish.
  • T-shirts for ages 5 years and older will be given to each participant who raises/brings in at least $20.00 in sponsorship donations and submits the registration form and donations to your school’s office by Tuesday, September 20, 2022. Late registration and additional funding may be turned in on the day of the event, but no T-shirt can be guaranteed. Additional T-shirts will be available to purchase on Saturday, October 8, 2022, while supplies last.
  • Participants will receive one raffle ticket for a chance to win a door prize on the event day. The raffle ticket will be given at the time of registration on October 8, 2022.
  • If you raise $100 or more, you are guaranteed a prize! The student who raises the most money will get first choice of the available prizes.
  • This is a family-friendly event open to EVERYONE in the community. Please join us! However, if you are unable to participate, please consider making a donation to MEF.
  • Sponsorship Opportunities: We are asking help from community businesses and school patrons to partner with us in this worthwhile endeavor.  Suggested sponsorship opportunities can be found in our information letter.  We also need gift cards/gift certificates for prizes.  Please consider contributing in one or more ways to help our cause.  Thank you for joining many others in going the extra mile in support of our students, our schools, and our community. Your financial support at whatever level you choose will be greatly appreciated!


We hope that this will continue to be a huge community event so we can continue to provide impactful grants that enhance our students’ learning experiences. Teacher grants are awarded semi-annually by the Foundation.