StarGazers Gala Raises Money for Arts in Fridley

StarGazers, the annual Fridley Foundation Arts Gala, is once again raising money for arts education on Saturday with musical acts, comedy routines, singing, dancing and more.

The gala raises money for arts programming throughout the Fridley School District, as well as three $1,000 scholarships for three students who wrote essays about how art has influenced them.  

Margeret Leibfried, principal of Fridley Middle School, started the StarGazers gala nine years ago because she was concerned about the arts programs in Fridley schools. Arts are her passion, she said—she was a theater and English major in college.

“I wanted to be sure kids could have costumes if they were in a theater production, or scripts if they were in speech," Leibfried said. "And I started thinking a little bit bigger—to elevate the arts to make them an important part of our community. I just thought, ‘Let’s do something just for the arts.’ And it’s fun! It’s a chance to bring the community together.” 

Following an Italian bistro dinner, this year’s gala will feature:

• Fridley kindergarten teacher Tricia Carlson as Carol Brady and Fridley High School Principal Renee Van Gorp as Alice (from The Brady Bunch)
• The Mickey Mouse Club
• Fridley's own YouTube sensations The Thompson's performing "Minnesota Gurls!"
• vintage TV commercials;
• Fridley Hall of Fame inaugural member Elizabeth (Bowe) Bond performing an amusing opera piece;
• and a danceline performed by Fridley High school teachers along with the  dance team fresh off its  state championship and male athletes.  

Money raised at past gala events has provided funding for a pottery wheel, costumes for Show Pops (Fridley’s glee club), T-shirts for the Early Bird Choir, and scripts for the speech team.  

In addition, this will be the third year that the Gala provides three $1,000 scholarships for the winners of an essay contest about how art has influenced the essay writers’ lives. The winners get the award in cash so that the students will have  money for themselves as they start college.  

StarGazers 2011 begins on Saturday, May 7 at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner at Fridley Middle School. The show takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Fridley District Auditorium. (A shuttle service will be available for those needing a ride.)

For tickets, email stargazers6100@gmail.com or call 763-502-5077. Dinner-and-show combination tickets are $20 each or $150 for a table of eight. Tickets are also available separately for dinner-only ($10), reserved show-only seats (best available, $10), and general seating show-only ($5).