Bridgeport International Academy's Telethon Raises Sizable Scholarship Funds — La Grotteria

Bridgeport International Academy’s (BIA) annual telethon fundraiser raised thousands of dollars toward student scholarships on April 8. The virtual event, which raised more than $4,000 of its $7,000 goal, showcased a great pool of talent from students, staff and alumni, all for a good cause.

“At this school we have an incredibly rich, culturally diverse environment that focuses on the development of our students’ characters,” said BIA Vice Headmaster, Emily Kise. “We pride ourselves not only in our academics but in investing in what it truly means to be a global citizen.”

BIA, which was founded in 1997 by True Parents, provides exceptional education where students learn respect, character development, integrity, and citizenship. The school’s telethon is BIA’s primary source aiding students with financial need and has combined BIA’s annual drama production and auction event into one virtual program during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have people literally all across the world who watched this broadcast,” said telethon organizer and

BIA teacher, Daniel Kingsley. “It’s an honor and privilege to have them join us for the telethon.”

RELATED: BIA Telethon Celebrates Community

Streamed live on social media, the telethon featured a wide range of performances and skits. From piano and flute solos, to a jazz duet, teacher monologues, merengue dance, and music videos, there was no shortage of entertainment throughout the night. Student emcees rotated introductions as the audience enjoyed all the original content while donations poured into BIA’s scholarship fund.

For every thousand dollars that was raised, students participated in different challenges. Once the telethon reached $1,000 in donations, two students ate a plate of lemon wedges. At the $2,000 mark, two more students partook in a mystery drink challenge that included pickle juice, coconut milk and apple cider vinegar. And once the telethon reached $3,000 in donations, another two students took pies to the faces.

“The pie went in my nose, I’m going to get them back!” exclaimed one student jokingly.

All in good fun, the student-run telethon brought to life the creative vision of some 40 students, staff and alumni who worked hard for several weeks leading up to the event. A photo montage captured classroom projects, group games, and the great teamwork of all the participants. A few students were also recognized with awards throughout the program for their exemplary work at BIA.

As the fundraiser topped $4,000, two more students participated in a “mystery box” challenge where they each tried to identify an unseen object enclosed in a box - a pineapple and a piece of octopus. “We’ve had some extremely generous donations and are very grateful,” said one of the student emcees.

The event concluded with a heartfelt message from BIA Headmaster, Dr. Frank LaGrotteria. “I laughed, I cried, and I wrote notes on all the interesting things I saw,” he said. “This production was so well done and I applaud everyone who was involved. We saw beautiful art, listened to lovely music and poetry, and watched some incredible dances … It was just a glorious night with harmony, beauty, and cooperation, which is really the hallmark of what happens at BIA.”

You can donate to BIA’s scholarship fund here.

BIA Telethon Celebrates Community

Photo courtesy of Bridgeport International Academy

“Our telethon entertains people, but it also helps make a difference,” says Unificationist Daniel Kingsley. “The

telethon really showcases the incredible diverse student body that represents Bridgeport International Academy

while also raising funds for our student scholarships.”

At BIA, Kingsley wears many hats — a PE teacher, online education coordinator, and the lead organizer of the

school’s annual telethon. It’s the second year BIA is hosting the virtual fundraiser, an alternative which came

about last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had a longstanding tradition of having a drama production and annual auction that was the main fundraiser

for our scholarships,” explains Kingsley. But that all changed in the midst of restrictions and lockdowns. So,

Kingsley got creative.

“The telethon combines the production and auction while doing everything safely,” he says. “This is a student-

driven production, so they are the ones who have made it a reality. They can showcase their skills and talents and

artistic abilities, all for a good cause.”

On camera and behind the scenes, some 40 students and staff are preparing for the telethon. Donations to BIA’s

scholarship fund helps students in financial need. With rehearsals underway this week, students are perfecting

various songs, dances, and short skits for the big night.

The telethon will stream live on April 8 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT through BIA’s Facebook and YouTube pages,

and will be shared on the Family Federation USA Facebook page as well. Kingsley says special appearances from

BIA’s headmaster and vice headmaster are also lined up.

“This year, we really want to emphasize this is a community event,” he says. “We want everyone that is involved

with BIA at some level to participate, including BIA alumni and teachers, who are performing. It’s about promoting

and celebrating our community.”

Over the last 25 years, BIA has continually drawn a diverse, co-ed student body, with as much as 45 percent of its

students coming from different countries around the world. “What makes BIA special is that we are a global

school with people from different cultures and backgrounds,” says Kingsley. “BIA becomes an extension of our

Kingsley says the virtual telethon is a great way for students to connect with their families and friends back

home. For Kingsley, a New Jersey native who joined BIA in 2020, teaching and coordinating the telethon has

enabled him to share his passion and strengths with his students.

“I love working with people and creating things,” he says. “I have the opportunity to collaborate with people, and

students can utilize my creativity and tap into that side … As an extended community of the Unification movement,

this family-oriented sense of community is extremely important to me. I love connecting with people on a deeper

level and my job allows me to do that.”

In more ways than one, BIA’s telethon bridges people, experiences and opportunities — while supporting and

celebrating its global community.

You can register for an event reminder for BIA’s telethon here, and donate to the scholarship fund here.

New Jersey Community Embraces Dr. Celebrating Volunteers Yong On Tour

A •·- • +H,•

et The World!

Where Students Meet the World!

Our holistic approach to education helps students develop the ability to use knowledge responsibly, choose and incorporate information most essential to their life goals, distinguish between useful or ham1ful exposures, and understand universally-recognized values. The multinational composition of the school community provides students with the opportunity to gain cultural competence and a broad understanding of the world in which they live.

Go To Virtual Open House

Fast Fact ’ - CJ

44 47,000+ 97% Countries Represented Service Ho u rs Log ged Move to Higher Education

Facebook Page News Upcoming Events

Bridgeport International .. . Newsletter 708 followers March 2022 Friday, April 15

I Good Friday, ½ day Read More>> Saturday, April 16

In Follow Page ,+ Share Spring Break Sunday, April 17 Spring Break Monday, April 18 Spring Break Newsletter Tuesday, April 19 February 2022 Spring Break Wednesday, April 20 Read More>> Spring Break Thursday, April 21 Spring Break

Events shown in time zone: Eastern Time - New York a Go gleCalendar Newsletter December 2021

Mr. Gukwon An Keita Yamada Jeanne Bessell Willow Marks (Faculty) (Student) (Parent) (Alumni) “Each student can find, “BIA is a very open and “I can not think of any “Ifyou’re searching for with his/her education, a accepting family It has better school where I going global citizenship role: to be purposeful by vastly improved my would want my kids to look no further than BIA. challenging academic capabilities to socialize, be. Great environment, During my time at BIA, interests, to be and learn new great teachers, great I’ve created connections supported by seeking discoveries with peers kids. I love BIA!” with people across the help from the faculty or from around the world.” globe via learning the diverse student body, true meaning of and/or to be camaraderie and the compassionate by importance of serving others through celebrating what his/her academic connects us all. “ strenaths.”

Q 285 Lafayette St, Bridgeport CT, 06604 J +1 203-334-3434

e office@bridgeportacademy.org BIA is a learning community where students grow in heart and mind as they gain an excellent academic oundation for their college careers. ,

’ I, How it Start a Q Search V gofuiidme Sign in Share Donate works GoFundMe

Bridgeport International Academy Benefit Night

$4,101 raised of $7,000 goal

40 donations

0 Charles Breland c…o $100 4d

0 Robert Sattinger c…o $120 Sd

0 Team fundraiser Frank LaGrotteria 0 Office BIA and 2 others are organizing this fund raise r to benefit c…o $500 Sd Bridgeport International Academy. 9 0 Sueo To c…o Bridgeport Internationa l Academy’s Annual Telethon event is back and w ill be $50 Sd

broadcasted live on our Facebook page on Friday April 8t h at 7 PM EST ! This is a student driven event where BIA student s w ill showcase their unique and 0 yumiko yamada c…o c reat ive ta lents fo r our global audience. Our goal is to break our fundraising $50 Sd

record and ra ise $7000 dollars in scholarships fo r c urrent and f ut ure st udents that come to BIA! [ See all ] ‘CJ Seetop

Bridgeport Internationa l Academy is a private col lege prepa ratory high school with a b ig mission! We create a harmonious, empowering and safe learning environment for our student s. At BIA, our student s excel academically, grow the ir heart/character, and develop their creative g ifts t hat are un ique to each individual student. We are an int ernational school w it h student s that come from all over the world!

We are invit i ng our ent ire BIA commun ity to attend and su pport our V irtual Telethon! T he telet hon wi ll showcase a variet y of student performances. Our st udent s have been practicing ve ry hard as t hey have created f u n and unique performances t hat everyone in our global commu n ity w ill enjoy! Your support makes the difference and if you fee l inspired to contribut e to our mission, we encourage you t o make a donation on th is GoFundMe page during the live te lethon broadcast. If you wou ld like to support, but can ‘t watch the live broadcast, you can also make a donation anytime on our GoFundMe page as wel l.

BIA is a small school complet ely funded by private tuit ion payments. Despit e the many cha llenges t he school has faced in a post pandem ic era, we have w orked relentlessly to continue to create a safe, engaging and inspiring educational experience for our st udents. Yo ur donation helps t remendously in h elping current and futu re students have an opportunity to attend BI A!

Throughout our live broadcast, our student MC’s w ill recognize every donor that contributes to our mission (unless they specif y to remain anonymous.) Donors who make the follow ing contributions w ill also be recognized on our dove wa ll.

Bronze Lev el: 50-99 dollars--You w ill receive a sma ll dove wh ich wil l be placed on ou r dove wa ll located on t he front of the school with your name on it.

Silver Level: 100-499 dollars-- You wil l receive a large dove wh ich w ill be

placed on our dove wall located on the front of t he school with your name on it.

Gold Level: 500 dollars and above-- You w ill receive a large dove with flowers which will be placed on o u r dove wa ll located on t he fro nt of the school with your name on it.

Platinum Level : 750 dollars and above - You will receive a large Gold colored dove which will be placed on our dove wall with your name on it.

Mark your calendars for April 8th at 7 pm. We look forwa rd to seeing you at the BIA Telet hon!

Donate Share

Fundraising team (3)

o Office BIA Bridgeport International CS) O rganizer • Academy & Raised $325 from 4 Registered nonprofit donations Donations are typically 100% Bridgeport, CT tax deductible in the US. Learn more

0 Daniel Kingsley 0 Ryan Shin CS) C…’v Team member Team member Raised $205 from 5 donations

This team raised $3,571 from 31 other donations.

Words of support (2)

0 Iris Ruby Padilla-Roberts C…’v $100 5d

Great job guys! Jaylin, T itf loves you!

0 Antonelle Chunka C…’v $30 10 d

Let you r light shine!

Please donate to share words of encouragement. Continue

Created February 22, 2022 • ( ) Non-Profits & Cha rities

~ Report f undraiser