Old school to me is embodied in Tacoma's Lowell Elementary School, literally and figuratively. Lowell IS the oldest school in Tacoma, beginning its foundations in 1869 in a log cabin at North 28th and Carr Streets. Eventually, it moved up the hill to it's current location at North 13th and Yakima Streets. For me it is old school, as I am an alumna from the seventies and early eighties (and I guess that makes me old too). During my time at Lowell, I really enjoyed it. I soaked in all the activities, people, teachers, and principals. I remember performances, talent shows, school murals, carnivals, spelling bees, my favorite swing at recess (the blue one!), the big rock by the 1st and 2nd grade classrooms, and the school basement for rainy day recess time. I even loved racing across the school's cement playground in foot races with the other kids. When I left that school for Mason, Wilson, and then college, I was always proud to show off my old school. I assumed everyone would think it's as cool as I did....
My husband was born in Tacoma but grew up in Spokane. He moved back to the area in his early twenties. When we met, we did a drive around town and I showed him Lowell. He laughed! "What a weird school," he chided. "Where's the grass? It's all small and odd and cement on that playground. And what's up with this location? Kinda weird for a school."
Sigh. Don't hate on my beloved school, dude.
So, I set the record straight, and said, that the cement, the quirky location, and the like were part of the charm. Back in my day, I saw this as an urban school, minutes from downtown (perfect for a Gritty Tacoman in training!). I loved the diversity of the people, the richness of the school activities, and programs. I have friends whose children attend this school today and they love it as much as I did.
So, imagine my delight and surprise when my friend Rachael invited my alumna little ol' self to attend the Lowell Auction and Fundraiser. Great stuff to bid on, yummy food, drinks, visiting with old friends, with one killer view of the bay from the Tacoma Yacht Club. Well, this Lowell Leopard is so there! And you can be, too! Check out the details below (taken from the Lowell website). The auction is open to the public.
Go Leopards!
Spring Fling - Lowell Auction 2010
SAVE THE DATE - MAY 1, 2010!!
DINNER AND AUCTION AT THE TACOMA YACHT CLUB TO SUPPORT THE LOWELL PTA
This is the event of the year! A chance to get together with Lowell friends, staff and faculty for a grown up night out to support the school! We’ll have drinks, dinner, dessert and a fantastic auction right on the shore of beautiful Commencement Bay at the historic Tacoma Yacht Club.
DON YOUR BEST
“Blue Jeans & Bling”
AND COME ATTEND LOWELL’S SPRING FLING
Support your school!
TICKETS ON SALE NOW IN THE MAIN OFFICE
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS $40
TABLES OF 8 $300 VIP TABLES OF 8 $400
TABLES OF 10 $375 VIP TABLES OF 10 $500
SPACE IS LIMITED
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY
It will be a fun, sparkling evening you won’t want to miss!
Questions? Wanna donate an auction item? Need more info? Click HERE to find out (and to get a sneak peek at the items you bid on!).(To NOTE: The above link is acting funny, so if you need more details, contact me at kim.gcw.thompson@gmail.com and I'll get you on the right path).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I'm sorry, but the link to the Lowell school web site does not work- get a 404 error.
I hope the auction goes well; I too went to Lowell.
Hi Syd:
You know, thanks for letting me know about the link. I tried it yesterday, thought I fixed it (it worked) then now it's back to that error. Yikes! I'll try something else.
I checked out the auction items; there is some amazing stuff from small things to large things. I think they team that organized this did a good job.
Thanks fellow Lowell Leopard!
Yo' roots go deep honey! Good luck to the school, in their efforts.
Post a Comment