RoxArts rustles up community support for students at May 9 auction and benefit

It’s not often that you can support Roxboro Elementary and Middle School students in jeans and cowboy boots. But that’s what guests will be wearing on Saturday May 9, at the annual RoxArts Auction & Benefit, held at Coventry’s B-Side Lounge (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd.), 6:30–10 p.m. So grab your boots, throw on a ten-gallon hat, and show your support for the Roxboro schools. You’ll get beer and wine; great food from Mister Brisket, SoHo Kitchen, and Chef Jason Brust; a raffle and silent auction featuring art and jewelry by local artists, sports and arts venue tickets, and other great packages; and more fun than you can shake a stick at.

This is the primary fundraiser for the education programs of RoxArts, a nonprofit organization bringing together parents, teachers and community volunteers dedicated to enhancing the performing and visual arts education at Roxboro schools.

“There are nearly 1,000 students on the Roxboro campus,” explained Rosemary Pierce, auction and benefit co-chair. “Every child is touched by RoxArts and its programs, and it’s been that way for nearly 35 years.”

RoxArts funds artists-in-residence, dance and music performances, and capital projects, and has provided students with opportunities to learn about diverse art forms, including poetry, quilting, hip-hop dance, and puppet theater. Over the past year, the organization provided support for the all-district band and orchestra performance at Severance Hall, brought Sister Salima in to work with children in both schools during Black History Month, brought in Verb Ballets to work with elementary school students, and helped fund jazz week at Roxboro Middle School.

Other projects underwritten by RoxArts include theatrical lighting, a state-of-the-art sound system, a ceramic-firing kiln, and African drums.

Tickets for the May 9 benefit can be purchased online for $35 per person at www.roxarts.org, or for $40 at the door. VIP tickets, which include unique raffle opportunities and a signature cocktail, are available for $75. Teachers can purchase tickets for $25. Ticket holders can begin online bidding for specific items prior to the event. Get more information, and an advance look at auction items, at www.facebook.com/roxarts.org.

To donate auction items or purchase ads in this year’s auction catalog, contact co-chairs Rosemary Pierce (rracklpierce@yahoo.com) or Jennifer Young (jyoung@elevationgroup.com).