CATCH THE SPIRIT

“The Spirit of 67 Home & Garden Tour is back on the calendar for Thursday, September 28, and we couldn’t be more excited,” says Katherine Hensley, the Spirit of 67’s Vice President of Communications. Noel Dolan, Gisela Orestano, and Lexee Rascia are cochairing this year’s event.

The Spirit of 67 Foundation is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1985 by a group of visionary parents and community members interested in funding excellence in Lake Forest schools. The Spirit is a partner in education to Cherokee, Everett, and Sheridan Elementary Schools and Deer Path Middle School where funds are raised and resources are acquired in order to provide enriching, educational, and cultural experiences that might not otherwise be offered.

“I became involved with the Spirit last year when my friend and I were approached about writing a grant to create a garden club for Everett,” Hensley says. “In the process doing that, I really fell in love with the Spirit and all of the magic behind it.”

When Orestano moved to Lake Forest with her family a few years ago, she immediately got involved giving her time in the district.

“I was very familiar with how the APT works because we had something very similar in Miami where we were living,” Orestano explains. “But the more I learned about the Spirit and what it was doing for our schools, the more I wanted to be a part of it.”

Since its founding, the Spirit has funded more than 750 unique grants—like the one for the garden club at Everett School—totaling over $6 million. This lasting legacy is due to the dedicated volunteers, the generosity of district families, and the commitment of local businesses, community members, and corporations to support the mission of the Spirit.

“This year, I’ve been working on the grants committee, and it has been so interesting to see all of the ideas that come in for our schools,” Dolan says. “We really want the community to understand that anyone can write a grant to the Spirit. A student, a faculty member, a community member—anyone who has an idea that would enrich a student’s experience is welcome to submit it. It’s a beautiful thing to see a community come together the way it does for the Spirit.”

Throughout their education in the district, students benefit from the Spirit’s grants in language arts, fine arts, wellness, STEAM, social and emotional learning, science, social studies, and world languages. Some recent grants include supplementing the new science labs with hands-on science engagements, visiting author and scientist programs, AR/VR technology, and library enhancements. The grants are awarded every April.

The Spirit of 67’s Home & Garden Tour committee has been working hard to add a new twist to this favorite annual event.

“Courtney Turner, the Spirit’s president, knew that I was somewhat of a foodie and asked if I could help bring some new food and beverage vendors into our event,” says Rascia. “We are hoping to create a food and drink experience at each home that will encourage guests to linger a little longer and take in the information that will be available on the grants we’re highlighting.”

While the chairs were tight-lipped about which homes will be on the tour this year, they promised that guests will not be disappointed.

“I’m most excited that we have older homes this year that have been completely reimagined for how families live today,” Dolan explains. “They are the perfect backdrop for our guests to see some of the Spirit’s grants in action with students from our schools.”

The Spirit of 67 is excited to introduce a new way of thanking the generous families who open their homes and outdoor spaces to make the Home & Garden Tour possible. Starting this year, the Spirit will honor those families by naming a 2024/2025 school year grant after them. “We look forward to celebrating the incredible generosity of not only opening their beautiful spaces to our community, but also the time and talent that our families share with us for the Spirit of 67 Home & Garden Tour,” says Turner. “We’ll share the names of these families and the grants made in their honor next spring. Be sure to follow along @spiritof67foundation or check out our website spiritof67foundation.org for this news.”

“As part of the Spirit of 67, our goal is to enhance the educational experiences of every student, in every school, every day,” Hensley emphasizes. “Our Home & Garden Tour gets us one step closer to making this happen.”

Although money raised from this event goes to schools in District 67, everyone is welcome to attend the Spirit’s Home & Garden Tour. Tickets to the Spirit of 67 Home & Garden Tour are available at spiritof67foundation.org.