HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — The Hampton Educational Foundation will be hosting the first H.E.F. Fest on Nov. 5, at the Vanguard, located at 504 N. King Street in downtown Hampton.
The H.E.F Fest will feature local band Blue Ribbon and Man Fighting Bear. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and live music will begin at 8 p.m. Also present will be Hampton City Mayor Donnie Tuck, and Vice Mayor Jimmy Gray.
Tickets are $5 when purchased in advance and $10 at the door. They can be purchased here. All ticket sales and sponsorships benefit the Hampton Educational Foundation’s programs, including their teacher grants program.
The festival is intended to celebrate Hampton City School’s on-time graduation rate, which is 97.64%, and the highest rate of the 15 school divisions in the region, according to the foundation.
“In March of 2020, along with the rest of the world, our educators experienced an unprecedented change in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. When they decided to become an educator, they couldn’t have anticipated having to reinvent teaching practices. The transition was abrupt and uncharted. And our HCS educators delivered with grace and courage,” said Hampton Educational Foundation President Ali Afonja.
“H.E.F. Fest is a way to join together as a community to thank them and to raise private support for HEF’s Teacher Grant Program – grants to help them fund their innovative ideas that enhance student learning.”
Hampton Education Foundation has experienced a record-level number of teacher applications for grants this academic year, and now the Hampton Education Foundation is seeking the funding.
“We have some amazing and talented performers, and we have the grants to empower smart and innovative educators to implement programs that enhance the learning experiences of their students and help them develop the skills needed to be college-, career- and life-ready,” said Nancy LeCuyer Beach, Hampton Educational Foundation’s executive director. “Now we just need to fund these grants!”
Tickets can be purchased here or at the door.