SPANISH FORT, Ala. — The Spanish Fort Education Enrichment Foundation will hold its sixth annual fiesta from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at River Fivers – Alabama’s Delta Resource Center – Saturday, Sept. 13. Tickets are $50 per person in advance and $60 at the door for ages 21 and up only.

“We’re looking to raise money for teacher grants,” Sandra Bostrom, executive director of SFEEF, said. “The middle school is also in need of a lot of educational enrichment programs.”

Riley’s Catering in Daphne will provide heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine.

New Iberia, La.-based The Andy Smith Band will provide musical entertainment throughout the night, a news release said. 

“The band is absolutely fabulous,” Bostrom said. “They’re a very well-known band and people love their music.”

SFEEF will raffle off condo and hotel weekend packages as well as restaurant and portrait vouchers throughout the night, Bostrom said.

“It’s a fabulous evening,” she said. “We’re looking forward to a good turnout this year.”

Money raised will benefit Spanish Fort schools, she said, adding that these places of learning could use the extra cash. 

“Funds are very detrimental this year from the state’s decrease in educational funds,” Bostrom said. “It’s already hitting the schools really hard this year.”

SFEEF was established in 2002 with a focus on the new Spanish Fort High School and its needs. The original name for the foundation was Spanish Fort High School Enrichment Foundation, however, the name changed after the high school was built four years ago. The change allows all Spanish Fort schools to benefit from the foundation, according to sfeef.com, the foundation’s Web site.

More than $150,000 has been raised to provide library books, funds for the athletic department, band instruments, supplies for the schools office, laptops, projectors and other items. The foundation also sponsors an ACT preparation seminar that helps students improve on their standardized test scores. The seminar is held twice per year, the Web site said.

So far $250,000 has been awarded to schools to benefit the teachers and students. The new Spanish Fort Middle School was given $6,000 for administrative needs such as paper and stationary when the school opened. The Snoezelen Program – a teaching program for students with autism and learning disabilities – received $12,000 to benefit students with autism.

A Snoezelen room is under construction at the high school and they hope to also put one in the middle school, Bostrom said. Snoezelen rooms are designed to give  positive multisensorial therapeutic effects on the users, according to the Autistic Society’s Web site, autisticsociety.org.

Funds have been provided to the schools with the help of many residents who donate and sponsor annual fundraisers, such as the fiesta at Five Rivers.

SFEEF invites the community to also come out to the Eastern Shore Centre Nov. 15 for Haulin’ Hooves and Bull Run Community Day – a 10k race and fun run – that will follow the first appearance of Santa Claus at the centre.

SFEEF is looking for new foundation members and sponsors. Membership begins at $25 and sponsorship for the fiesta starts at $250. Sponsors receive double exposure and will also be featured at Haulin’ Hooves in November, Bostrom said.

Five Rivers is located at 30945 Five Rivers Blvd. across from Meaher State Park on the Causeway.

For advance tickets and sponsorship information contact Bostrom at 928-8543 or visit their Web site at sfeef.com.