“A Night for Greenhills” brings community together

A strong turnout by the community and a wide variety of auction items helped make this year’s celebration of “A Night for Greenhills” a success at the Polo Fields Ann Arbor earlier this month. 

The gathering, which featured live and silent auctions, a fine meal, and performances by Greenhills Studio Jazz and the school’s improv troupe, drew nearly 100 members of the Greenhills community to the golf and country club, off Zeeb Road on the city’s westside.

Among silent auction items were spa treatments, works of art, a Greenhills tennis championship banner, and even a set of hot air balloon rides. The live auction included a trip to Chicago, a  trip to New York City for a performance of the sold-out musical Hamilton, a suite with 20 tickets for a Detroit Red Wings game, a custom-prepared formal feast of Indian food, and much more.

This year’s centerpiece item, a special effort focused on a particular need at the school, raised funds for improved audio-visual equipment in the West Gym, which is used for the largest all-school gatherings of students, faculty, visitors, and staff.

Another highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Nancy’s Basket Award, made each year “to the person or persons who make the greatest contribution to the continued excellence of Greenhills School.” This year’s recipient was Jim Gleason, whose tireless volunteer efforts in creating and maintaining the Greenhills Renewable Energy Dashboard have, in the description of Head of School Carl Pelofsky, left more than a few students thinking Gleason is a full-time member of the faculty.

That is actually true in the case of Jim Gleason’s wife, Chris Gleason, a science teacher at Greenhills who is retiring at the end of the school year. Chris Gleason was also recognized for her three decades of service–and incalculable contributions–to the school.

A Night for Greenhills was organized by volunteer auction chairs Elizabeth DeRose, Chris Hugly, Genevieve Monsma, Terry Morrison, and Shireen Syed.

Their hard work, Pelofsky said, and the participation of so many in the community, made the evening’s success possible.