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

by | Oct 13, 2023

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

2023 Sponsors | 2023 Media Gallery

The Merrillville Education Foundation sponsored our sixth Walk-A-Thon on October 7, 2023, at the Merrillville High School Soccer/Track and Field Area.

Many thanks to all who came out for the event on a beautiful and brisk fall morning! Everyone got some good exercise, many prizes were given out, and a fun time was had by all.

We would like to thank the following people for their generosity and support:

  • Merrillville students, families, and staff for raising money and coming to the walk
  • Merrillville teachers, support staff and principals for spreading the word
  • Business and community sponsors for giving donations and prizes
  • MHS Athletic Department for helping coordinate the event
  • Tradewinds Services, Inc. of Merrillville/Hobart for creating the tshirts
  • Volunteers from the Merrillville High School Cheerleaders and the Vocal Teens for giving of their time and talents
  • Merrillville Education Foundation Board Members for doing what it takes to make it a success

Also, congratulations to Salk School for having the most participants and winning the traveling trophy for another year!

You can find a list of our monetary sponsors and gift sponsors below. Thanks again, and we hope to see everyone at next year’s Walk-A-Thon!​

 

 

2023 Walk-A-Thon Sponsors
Many thanks to our sponsors of our 6th Annual MEF Walk-A-Thon! With your support, the Foundation continues to provide unique and valuable education opportunities for Merrillville students.

2023 Silver Star Contributors – $500-$999
Puntillo and Crane Orthodontics PC

2023 Bronze Star Contributors – $250-$499
Brandy’s Safe & Lock, Inc.
DVG Team, Inc.
Family Express
McMahon & Associates CPAs, PC

2023 Purple Star Contributors – $100 to $249
DeLena Thomas – MCSC School Board Member
Geisen-Pruzin Funeral & Cremation Services
Harvest Tyme Pumpkin Patch
Merrillville Lions Club
Miles and Molly Dunscombe

 

2023 Gift Sponsors
Albanese Confectionery Group, Inc.
Barb Orelup
Chick-fil-A of Merrillville
Costco
Culver’s of Northwest Indiana
Family Express
Gail Nicolini
Jak’s Warehouse
Kathy Martin

2023 Gift Sponsors
Lori Govert
Marisa Smoljan
Mary Hoffman
McDonald’s (Modrak Group)
Miller School
Nancy Draper
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
Urban Air
Zig-E’s Funland

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

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…

5th Annual MEF Walk-A-Thon brings out nearly 100 participants!

by | Oct 20, 2022

5th Annual MEF Walk-A-Thon brings out nearly 100 participants!

2022 Sponsors | 2022 Media Gallery

The Merrillville Education Foundation sponsored our fifth Walk-A-Thon on October 8, 2022, at the Merrillville High School Soccer/Track and Field Area.

Many thanks to all who came out for the event on a beautiful and brisk fall morning! We had close to 100 participants, and it was a tremendous success. Everyone got some good exercise, many prizes were given out, and a fun time was had by all.

We would like to thank the following people for their generosity and support:

  • Merrillville students, families, and staff for raising money and coming to the walk
  • Merrillville teachers, support staff and principals for spreading the word
  • Business and community sponsors for giving donations and prizes
  • MHS Athletic Department for helping coordinate the event
  • Sean Roche of the MHS Graphic Arts Department for creating the T-shirts, posters, and the Thank You banner
  • Volunteers from the Merrillville High School Cheerleaders for giving of their time
  • Merrillville Education Foundation Board Members for doing what it takes to make it a success

Also, congratulations to Salk School for having the most participants and winning the traveling trophy for one year!

You can find a list of our monetary sponsors and gift sponsors below. Thanks again and we hope to see everyone at next year’s Walk-A-Thon!​

 

 

2022 Walk-A-Thon Sponsors
Many thanks to our sponsors of our 4th Annual MEF Walk-A-Thon! With your support, the Foundation continues to provide unique and valuable education opportunities for Merrillville students.

2022 Silver Star Contributors – $500-$999
Centier Bank
Morgan Stanley – Dominic Nicolini
Puntillo and Crane Orthodontics PC
Sharp School Services

2022 Bronze Star Contributors – $250-$499
Brandy’s Safe & Lock, Inc.
DVG Team, Inc.
Hugh P. Seller & Frances K. Seller, DDS
Prudential Financial – Andrew Draper
Scott & Marisa Smoljan

2022 Purple Star Contributors – $100 to $249
Acme Print Copy Design
David and Paula Barrick
Linda Jonaitis
Cory Lazart
Mark Lazart
DeLena Thomas

 

2022 Gift Sponsors
Albanese Confectionery Group, Inc.
Andy Draper
Barb Orelup
Chick-fil-A of Merrillville
Costco
Culver’s of Northwest Indiana
Family Express
Gail Nicolini
Iddings School
Kathy Martin
Lori Govert
Marisa Smoljan

2022 Gift Sponsors
Marnita and Terrell Taylor
Mary Hoffman
Melanie Atria
Miller School
Modrak Operating Group- McDonald’s
Nancy Draper
Nicole Clark
Sky Zone
Up Your Alley
White Castle
Zig-E’s Funland

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.