On Wednesday, January 20th, Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) held its first annual Ball Gowns and Barbeque charity gala at Estel’s Dine by the Sea Restaurant. From 6:30PM onward, the event included a delicious dinner, raffles plus silent and live auctions, all organized by ACES’ board of directors. For a donation of $75 per person, supporters enjoyed Estel’s famous mixed grilled BBQ and unlimited rum punch. Conrad and The Tried and Tue Band serenaded the evening with a big ‘ol heap of Texas spirit. All proceeds of the event went directly to ACES, benefiting the many programs they carry out each year.
ACES is the only school on the island that has a dedicated special needs classroom. According to Principal Denice Ryan, ACES started offering this service in honor of a very special child, Cody, who has autism. Cody’s mother was in attendance at the event and shared a few heartfelt words of gratitude with everyone present. She commended Teacher Sarah Freudenberg in particular, for her dedication in helping children with special needs, highlighting how much progress her son has made, including learning his own name and interacting socially when he was unable to do so before.
Patrons of the event enjoyed a truly delicious, generous dinner by Chef Charles and Ellie. Grilled ribs, chicken, sausage and beef plus a delicious scoop of rice and beans and coleslaw had everyone digging in. While guests dined, fabulous door prizes were raffled, and there were many happy winners scooping up their gifts. After dinner, raffle winners were called out, with guests scrutinizing their purchased tickets in hopes of nabbing a prize or two. Those who were not as lucky with the raffle, hoped their bid was the winner for the various gifts up for silent auction.
Before the live auction could take place, the owners of Crazy Canucks Beach Bar, Krista and Rob Burrows were presented with a certificate of appreciation for their support of ACES. In the past two years, the Burrows have managed to raise $20,000 for the school. Rob then led the very entertaining live auction, managing to convince guests to bid on several items up for grabs. Despite a downpour of rain, guests stayed under the shelter of the covered restaurant, bidding higher and higher for paintings, fishing trips, excursions and more. ACES certainly benefitted from this wonderful evening of generosity and good spirits. They thank their staff for the tremendous job they have been doing throughout the years. ACES also thanks Estel’s Dine by the Sea for hosting the event and for providing unwavering support to the children of ACES, San Pedro. To all those who bought tickets, attended and have donated, THANK YOU.
