SALISBURY — The tent on the Green at the White Hart was packed on Friday, Sept. 22 as Northwest Corner community members joined together to support the fifth annual Wine Dinner and Auction. The sold-out event raised funds to support the Housatonic Valley Regional High School International Travel Club.
Organized by the club’s fundraising branch, Northwest Corner: Students Without Borders, the evening featured a four-course meal for 120 guests and both a live and a silent auction of items donated by local businesses.
Twenty-five students participated in the fundraiser and spent many months gathering sponsors and auction items and selling tickets. John Lizzi, social studies teacher and club advisor, reported that approximately $40,000 was raised to support student trips to Spain/Portugal and to Iceland in 2024.
Donations will help pay for cultural experiences and excursions, airfare, hotel accommodations and the opportunity to earn high school and college credit. Lizzi stressed that it’s the vital contributions and generosity of the Region One community that provide these authentic, life-changing experiences for HVRHS students.
Added Region One Superintendent Lisa Carter, “We continue to be overwhelmed and so grateful for the support. Our thanks go to all of the HVRHS parents, caregivers and alumni, as well as the residents in the Region One member towns and beyond for their generous participation as donors, sponsors and guests.”
Carter also expressed thanks to the White Hart for “providing a delicious dinner in a beautiful and elegant setting.”
Guests dined on little gem salad with green goddess dressing and cured egg yolk; ricotta gnudi in a crushed cherry tomato sauce; and roasted New York strip loin accompanied by creamed corn, crispy potatoes and charred leeks. Each course was paired with a complementary wine. A dessert of lemon posset, cherry compote and candied almonds topped off the meal.
Students decorated the tent, greeted guests, sold raffle tickets for door prizes, waited tables and cleaned up late into the evening, and parents and teachers rolled up their sleeves to pitch in, too.
Global opportunities
HVRHS Principal Ian Strever said the opportunity to travel connects with the school’s core values.
“Our students have a rich and varied context for examining their world thanks to this program,” he explained. “One of our core values [at HVRHS] is global and environmental awareness, and just a sampling of our recent trips shows how closely the travel club supports that value. Trips to Japan, Greece, Scotland and Ireland, and the Galapagos Islands hit the corners of the Earth and a range of environmental concerns.”
Ayla Hill, a senior at HVRHS, will travel to Spain and Portugal next spring.
“I’ve always wanted to see different parts of the world,” she said. “I’m most looking forward to trying new foods, learning about different cultures and visiting historic sites and buildings.
“I’m also excited to make memories with my friends, exploring somewhere new before I graduate,” she added.
Madison Gulotta, an HVRHS junior, looks forward to exploring Iceland’s unique natural environment and agreed with Hill about the benefits of traveling abroad as a high school student.
“The thing I’m most excited about for Iceland,” said Gulotta, “is the traveling experience I will get at such a young age.”
About 40 students are currently enrolled to travel next spring and summer.
Lia Wolgemuth is a freelance writer based in Salisbury and the parent of an HVRHS student who will travel to Spain and Portugal with the club next spring.
