HVHRS dinner raises funds for student trips

SALISBURY — Students, parents, teachers and community members joined together last Friday for the fourth annual Wine Dinner and Auction to benefit Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s travel club, Northwest Corner: Students Without Borders.

Under a tent on the Green at the White Hart in Salisbury, 150 guests enjoyed roasted salmon and various wines and bid on auction items donated by local businesses.

After many months of gathering sponsors and auction items, students raised nearly $65,000 to support school trips to Japan, Ireland/Scotland and the Galapagos – far surpassing the club’s previous year of $30,000.

“So many students and parents have been working hard since this past spring,” said John Lizzi, HVRHS social studies teacher and club board member. “To me, that’s the main reason why we ended up with a record number of both. It was amazing to see so many students, all working for the opportunity to travel internationally in 2023.”

Region One Superintendent Lisa Carter thanked the community for recognizing the value of international travel for students.

“Becoming a globally aware citizen is one of the attributes noted in the HVRHS portrait of a graduate,” said Carter. “Friday night’s event confirmed how much our community values the opportunity for our students to see and experience all of the opportunities that the wide world has to offer to them.”

HVRHS Principal Ian Strever echoed this sentiment.

“In addition to the opportunities this provides for the students who travel, their experiences enrich classroom conversations and help to produce globally aware citizens,” he said. “Everyone in the school benefits from the work of this group.”