Preparations gear up for travel club fundraiser

SALISBURY — The menu is planned, tickets are selling and students are ready to don their aprons – all in preparation for the sixth annual Wine Dinner and Auction, hosted by the White Hart Inn in Salisbury.

The event is on Friday, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. and raises money for the Housatonic Valley Regional High School International Travel Club’s 2025 trips to Italy/Germany and to Thailand.

The evening accommodates 120 guests under a tent on the Green and includes a cocktail hour with a sparkling wine, a four-course dinner with three wines and both a live and a silent auction. Actor and local resident Sam Waterston will attend and speak to show his support for the program.

“We are so grateful to the White Hart for their continued support and generosity,” said Laura Bushey, a board member for Northwest Corner: Students Without Borders, the fundraising branch of the travel club. “They donate a large portion of the food and wine as well as allow us to use their beautiful lawn.”

Students work during the evening as waitstaff, greeters, decorators, cleanup crew and fundraisers. They have also spent the summer finding sponsors and items for the auction. Local businesses, artisans and organizations have donated fine art, gift baskets, gift certificates, tickets to tri-state events, golf packages and more. Items of special note include a one-week stay at a house in France, spring break at a timeshare in Myrtle Beach, S.C., two nights in Atlantic City and orchestra seats to a Broadway show of the winning bidder’s choice.

“The money received by each student correlates directly to the time commitment they have made,” said Bushey. “This system incentivizes each student and avoids everyone benefiting from the work of only a few individuals. Since the students become extremely invested in their trips, they are very grateful for the special opportunity.”

John Lizzi, HVRHS social studies teacher and club advisor, expressed thanks to the Region One community and the 21st Century Fund for the continued support of students.

“Without Region One’s help, these tours would not be possible,” he said. “Regrettably, the cost of international travel has never been higher, and the support we receive goes directly to support families who, without financial assistance, would not be able to afford these trips.

“The past two years we’ve averaged $50,000 at the dinner,” he added. “That remains our goal this year.”

Global citizens

Donations help pay for cultural experiences and excursions, airfare, hotel accommodations and the opportunity to earn high school and college credit.

“International travel provides students authentic learning experiences not possible in the classroom that are truly life-changing,” said Lizzi. “Students return from these trips as more mature, refined and empathetic global citizens.”

Bushey, a parent of three HVRHS graduates, echoed this sentiment.

“My daughter, Catherine, was able to travel to Japan in April of 2022,” she said. “The trip has definitely given her the ‘travel bug’ as well as a far less U.S.-centric approach in general. After seeing the growth that a travel experience like this can generate, I became very passionate about helping facilitate future trips. The hope is that students have a profoundly exciting learning experience that broadens their horizons and encourages continued travel throughout their lives.”

HVRHS sophomore Jonas Johnson also has the travel bug after touring Iceland with the club this past July.

“As someone who is into nature, I thought it was great that we got to go to a different environment and see the differences from home,” he said. “We saw famous waterfalls, thermal pools, geysers, humpback whales and volcanic environments, which were all so special.”

Johnson plans to journey to Thailand next year and said he is most excited to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary. The anticipated itinerary will be the first service-learning trip with school-tour operators EF Tours.

Said Lizzi, “All of the trips we take include fantastic learning experiences for our students, but the Thailand trip promises to be the most hands-on and student-centered yet.

“As we get closer to the 2025 departure date, we will learn more about the specifics of the project,” he explained. “Past examples from Thailand service-learning tours include helping to build a local school, planting trees, constructing dams to help with seasonal flooding, building mushroom houses outside local schools to create income for resources, and maintaining elephant habitats that help with general sanctuary upkeep.”

Tickets to the Wine Dinner and Auction are $100 each. To buy tickets, become a sponsor or donate an item for the auction, visit winedinnerandauction.com, email nwcstudentswithoutborders@gmail.com or call/text Lia at (860) 248-0269.