Auction Raises Nearly $40,000

“What a wonderful evening! The food, the band, the atmosphere – it’s so nice to have a night out, together!”

“This is such a special evening and it’s for a great cause!”

“I can’t wait until next year!”

The recent Fan the Flames Auction Event brought together community members to support EMS students and educators. This hybrid event, featuring both an in-person gathering and an online auction, attracted a diverse group of participants, including planning team members, donors, bidders, guests, musicians, and faculty-staff. The collective effort resulted in nearly $40,000 raised, with $27,000 net proceeds designated for the Flames Fund.

Generous Donors Bidding

The funds raised will significantly contribute to the school’s mission and vision. A notable portion will be invested in a new unified software system aimed at enhancing communications with families, improving data efficiency for faculty and staff, and strengthening connections with supporters and alumni.

Kendal Swartzentruber, board member, and EMS parent introduced the opportunity to donate with these words:

“An EMS education matters because our world is constantly tempted to divide and pull itself apart. What I see EMS doing is giving students the capacity to hold profound truths together, even when they don’t fully make sense. Instead of thinking the world into pieces, EMS helps students think it together again—to imagine, to reconcile, and to stay rooted in hope.

I’ve seen that light in the way our students and staff live in paradox. It shows up in how they respond to both winning and losing with grace, in the way they enter conflict and challenge with honesty and respect, and in the way they listen deeply, working to address harm and move toward transformation. Those moments of compassion, courage, and creativity are where the light shines brightest.”

The Auction Planning Team, Jenna Cauchi, Kari Diener, Lauren Eanes, Megan Holland, Sarah Sutt, Angela Showalter, Keri Hutcheson, Eliz Ozcan, Melinda Yoder, and EMS Staff Trisha Blosser and Erin Kennedy Hess, expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the community’s generosity and involvement.

For those who missed the chance to participate in the auction or wish to contribute further, donations to the Flames Fund are welcome at any time. Would you still like to do more? Join the “Anchoring Lights” for faithful monthly giving so every student can shine. Monthly gifts, big or small, create lasting impact. Together, Anchoring Lights donors make a difference.

Thank you also to our 2025 sponsors!

Gaines Group Architects, PB Mares, Everence, AM Yoder & Co, Asdelia Mae, LD & B, Weaver’s Flooring America, Venture Builders Inc., Maplewood Valley Ranch, tdc marketing, Parkview Federal Credit Union, Rockingham General Dentistry, and our anonymous teacher table sponsor.