Written by Emily Tan and Anna Huang (Class of 2026)
Photos by Alysha Seng (Class of 2028)

As the last activity before the Thanksgiving holiday, everyone was looking forward to the Gratitude Gala. Hosted by the sophomores, it was held on November 21st at Joyous Way, from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. 

16 fundraising booths were set up in total. There were different kinds of foods and drinks provided to the visitors such as tteokbokki, fries, spring rolls, matcha cookies, tomato and miso soup, and so on. There were also games and arts and crafts including a photo booth, face painting, keychains, clothes, plants and so on. 

Upbeat music played in the background as students and teachers alike wandered from booth to booth, enjoying the cool autumn breeze while munching on snacks from all over the world.

Hannah Cheng had eaten multiple waffles and was grinning from ear to ear while purchasing her next snack, a slice of cheesecake. “The food and music brought me joy, and lifted my mood for the entire day!” 

“The ice cream was pretty good, and the service provided by the sellers left a very good impression on me,” remarked Robyn Tang, holding her second ice cream of the day. 

Two hours passed very quickly, and everyone was reluctant to pack up their things and prepare to return. We are looking forward to the next event!

The donations gained by the day’s efforts are as follows: 
IGDVS: $133 
Junior High Booth (MSF Doctors Without Borders) $228
5-6th grade (Redwood Child Services) $234.75
1-2nd grade (Ukiah Food Bank) $66
Business Women: $69
Her Dreams Matter (for education for Haitian girls) $127 
Children of the World (for education for Ugandan children) $135 
Community Service Club: $90 
Boys 5-6th Grade (Plowshares): $270
Activity booths (for HDM, COTW, Business Women, and CSC) $28
Tteokbokki (for HDM, COTW, Business Women, and CSC) : $304
With a total of:  $1414.75