Nolan Middle fills Lakewood Ranch Main Street for annual fundraiser
Parents, teachers and students put on Nolan Night on Main Street Saturday, May 16.
By
Jessica Salmond
| 6:56 p.m. May 16, 2015
East County
Schools
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Face painting, bean bag tossing and silent auctioning filled Lakewood Ranch Main Street for the seventh annual Nolan Night on Main Street on Saturday.
Parents, teachers and students from R. Dan Nolan Middle School helped run booths and sell tickets. The school's chamber orchestra and choir performed throughout the night along with local band, the "Chillbillies."
"It's nice to be able to help out," said Maria Freer, a Nolan teacher who helped sell tickets. "It's part of a teacher's life—it's what we do."
Rain sent attendees under shelter for a while, but the festivities soon resumed after the shower finished.
Tamara Cornwell, assistant vice principal, was one of the main organizers of the event. She said the school typically raises about $10,000 from the night, which the school will draw from in the next school year, but mostly the goal is to have fun.
"We teach the kids the business aspects—customer service," Cornwell said, speaking of the students who help to work at the fundraiser.
Basia Kuehn plays in the chamber orchestra.
Brooke East, far left, will attend Nolan Middle School in the fall. She came to Nolan Night with her dad, Brian, and her sisters, Addison and Ella, and their dog, Tucker.
Carrie Betts, aka Supertooth, dances in the street while representing Monricz and Varone Orthodontics.
Chloe Rusek and Gabrielle Carroll, sixth-grade students at Nolan, painted each other's faces.
The Nolan Middle choir performed Defying Gravity from Wicked.
Sarah Eckstrom, seventh-grade student, dabs a few last brush strokes of blue on her colorful painting.
Principal Scot Boice, Assistant Vice Principal Tamara Cornwell and P.E. teacher Brad Claussen ran the volunteer booth.
Kerrigan Himmel and Justin Resnick stand after the chamber orchestra performance.
Lucas Hall, a sixth-grade student, attempts to make a basket at the Florida Sons Bridge Training Facility booth.
Kylee Mroz, a Nolan eighth grader, paints Olivia Hadad's face.
Campbell Shaw plays violin in the chamber orchestra.
Themed gift baskets, such as this coffee basket, were bid on in the silent auction.
Friends and family watch the choir sing a selection from Wicked.
Director Helene Franco directs the chamber choir.
Kristin Murphy, a Nolan mom, and her son, Beau, 4, bought a sweet banana pepper plant at a booth. "He just thought it was fun," Murphy said.
Gift baskets await bids at the silent auction.
Jennifer McManis and Maria Freer ran a ticket booth for a shift.
Eighth-grader Rheana White puts the finishing touches on her painting, which was auctioned off. She said the woman in her piece was not based off of anyone.
Parents, teachers and students of Nolan Middle filled Lakewood Ranch Main Street Saturday night.
