Shades of Blue Returns to Campus

With record attendance and corporate sponsorship levels, Shades of Blue, “Chicago Blue,” was an overwhelming success! Over 580 parents, alumni, faculty and friends attended the 14th annual event on Saturday, March 9, 2013. Shades of Blue returned to Berkeley’s campus in the Doyle Gymnasium of the Straz Family Field House. Laura Bekesh, event chair, and Pat Thompson, auction chair, led a fabulous team of volunteers through months of planning and preparation, and the beautiful transformation of the space was led by décor chair, Jennifer St. John ’91.

Over 180 guests attended the Patron Party which kicked off the evening in the Chicago Blue lounge. The silent auction featured an impressive display of over 300 items. Before the live auction, the committee presented its premier “From the Heart” video encouraging all in attendance to make a gift to support the evening’s causes: Parents’ Club scholarships and special projects. “From the Heart” was a fantastic success as the scoreboard totaled over $25,000 in five minutes!

With the generous support of all in attendance, the live auction was one of the most successful to date – raising almost $70,000. Finally, a huge thank you goes to all the volunteers, donors, patrons, sponsors and staff who gave generously to make this such an incredible event. With 23 corporate sponsorships totaling $130,000, “Chicago Blue” raised more than $300,000. Proceeds will fund Parents’ Club scholarships and other special school projects. All scholarships are need-based and provide deserving students the opportunity to attend Berkeley. Once again, thank you to all who attended and helped to make “Chicago Blue” such a fantastic party and a huge success for Berkeley!
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Founded in 1960, Berkeley is an independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory day school located in Tampa, FL, for boys and girls in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12. Approximately 1,400 students gather here from the greater Tampa Bay area to form ONE Berkeley.