Just a week after Winthrop’s annual celebration of the Western frontier, the Little Star Montessori School will host an event to take place in a different frontier — the final one, as the crew of the Starship Enterprise would say.
If you’re one of the lucky ticket holders to “A Night in the Cosmos,” Little Star’s upcoming biennial auction extravaganza, you’re in for a treat. Many users host events at the Winthrop Barn, but no one transforms the Barn into something nearly unrecognizable as magically as the Little Star auction committee does, and this year will be no exception. From ceiling to floor, the Barn will be illuminated with psychedelic lights, glowing tables and futuristic imagery.
The guests’ attire always enhances the ambiance at the auction, and this year’s guests will be a classic example of Methow creativity, wearing suits and gowns or dressed up as shooting stars and flaming meteors.
Technically the event is sold out, but rumor has it that a handful of seats may be coming available this week, so if you want to try to snag one of these seats, call the school at 996-2801 to inquire. If you aren’t able to score a seat, or if you prefer helping in a behind-the-scenes capacity, the auction still needs people to help serve the fabulous dinner. You get to attend the event and interact with other Little Star supporters while providing assistance. It’s free and it’s fun!
With Little Star alumnus Dani Reynaud now serving as Little Star’s executive director and several alumni now teaching their own groups of students, the beloved early childhood place of learning has in the past decade entered a period of torch-passing. And the latest torch is the beacon of auction attendance, with families like the Uppers, Joslins, Bourns and Pattersons, who used to attend the auction in support of their children, now sending the younger generation to attend the party. When asked if she would be at this year’s auction, Melinda Bourn, who put four children through Little Star, said “I’m staying home with five grandchildren so the parents can all go to the auction. It’s their turn.”
The auction is only held biennially (much to the relief of the decorations committee!) and the funds raised provide operating support and financial aid for 120 kids at both Little Star campuses. It’s a time when people from across the valley and those with special connections to Little Star come together to celebrate the fulfillment of school founder Rayma Hayes’s dream, and to ensure that this special place continues to provide early childhood education to Methow Valley youngsters into the future.
Those in attendance will be able to bid on items like a Tanzania safari, a trip to New York City, local produce and meat, handmade quilts, jewelry, art, an Indian dinner, and a guided running and fishing trip. But best of all, they’ll be able to be a part of the beautiful legacy that is Rayma’s gift to the Methow Valley.
