The Lycée Français de New York (LFNY) will hold its annual Gala on Saturday, March 16, 2013 on the theme #LFNY – Advancing Minds into a Digital Future. Acclaimed American journalist and francophile Charlie Rose will be the guest of honor. A crucial event for fundraising, the Gala would not be possible without the participation of a team of parent volunteers, including Gala co-chairs L. Bayly Leeds-Daviau, Laetitia Chaix and Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson.
Les trois co-chairs du Gala 2013 : Laetitia Chaix, Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson et L.Bayly Ledes-Daviau.
What does volunteering for the LFNY Gala consist of ?
Volunteering is a key element in organizing the Gala each year. A team of dozens of volunteers take part in planning the Gala, and without them this large-scale event couldn’t take place. We organize ourselves in three key areas: the auction, corporate sponsorship and decor. In the fall, once the theme and honoree were chosen, we began approaching corporations to donate products or services for the Gala’s auction. Corporations can also support the Gala by sponsoring one or more tables at the event. It’s a way for them to introduce their products and services to our diverse community of guests. But it’s also a way for them to contribute to a meaningful cause – to enhance the education provided by the Lycée each year and to support scholarships that allow students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to attend this school. This year, our goal is to have 250 auction items, and we will contact close to 1,000 companies to make this possible. The final and key step is decor. This year the team is working with parents, teachers and students to help create a decor that brings to life our theme of education and technology in the 21st Century.
What are some challenges this year?
Planning for Gala is an incredible time, and one where there’s no time to worry! Our honoree this year is a renowned journalist whose life experience we’re excited to learn from. From our perspective he embodies a spirit of innovation and intelligence so essential to our world today, and he is a wonderful role model for Lycée students. Our students are working on numerous projects involving new technology which will be presented that evening (more on that in the next post!). We’re moving to a new venue for the Gala this year, Pier 36, a wonderful place in lower Manhattan!
What have you learned from this experience?
There’s nothing else like it. Volunteering involves giving of your time and energy to a cause close to your heart. It’s rewarding to manage a project from start to finish and see tangible results of all that hard work! Working closely with the school’s development staff, we take part in all aspects of organizing the Gala – from the choice of the theme to putting teams of volunteers together to managing those teams, and with a tight budget! You sharpen your skills in persuasion, whether it’s within the team or through contacting corporations. Most of all, you discover, to your amazement, how generous individuals and companies here in New York are. It’s an exhausting effort, but it’s a terrific teamwork where you learn so much!
What would you like to tell the Lycée community?
There are only six weeks left before the big event and the pressure’s growing! We would like to thank all the volunteers who have been helping us already. There is still a lot to do and it’s never too late to participate. We enjoy this event in tribute to our school and to our students. We’ll tell you more on March 16!
L. Bayly Ledes is the mother of one daughter in at LFNY. Her career brings together the world of beauty products and digital publishing. For the past 20 years she has worked for American Elle. In the 90s she was responsible for the creation of the Elle website in the US and France. She is American by birth but speaks perfect French. While she has volunteered for Galas in the past in 2011 and 2012, this is her first time as a co-chair.
Laetitia Chaix is the mother of three secondary Lycée students. They have lived in New York for five years. Before arriving in NY, Laetitia worked in sales for luxury brand Mont Blanc for 10 years in Paris and later in Singapore. This is her first time as a co-chair for the Gala, though she experienced it last year as a volunteer.
Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson is both an alumna of LFNY and the mother of two daughters in the primary school. Magalie has been an American television journalist for over 10 years at ABC and currently at CBS News where she is a producer and correspondent for the news show, 60 Minutes. As with her fellow co-chairs, this is Magalie’s first time co-chairing the Gala, though she was occasionally involved with Galas in the past.
About the Author :
Kate Lubinger leads all community events for the school including the Gala, Fall Fete Foraine, Skating Party and the Spring Fair. In her spare time, Kate loves baseball, playing tennis, running and trying out new recipes.