Small Friends brings back "Spring Down the House"
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Clear a spot on your social calendar for this coming Saturday, April 26 so you can enjoy a special dinner at The Chanticleer complete with after-dinner dancing taking place in the historic, 'Sconset Casino with inspirational spring-themed decorations created by Nantucket Looms owner Liz Winship.

Small Friends will auction off this "Smart Car."

For the second year, Small Friends on Nantucket is hosting "Spring Down the House," a fundraiser to assist with the costs of building a new early education and day care center that is certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building. The organization has received strong community support since it began this funding quest in 2006 and has raised more than $3 million.

The "Spring Down the House" event is sponsored by The Maury People/Sotheby's International and will, hopefully, put the building campaign over the top to be able to complete its new center on Nobadeer Farm Road in time for an anticipated September opening. The structure will be weather tight within a month. An added bonus is that the Weezie Foundation is matching each dollar brought in through the "Spring Down the House" evening.

The event will include appetizers of cheeses and savory meats, a dinner menu of petite codcake, Caesar salad, poussin with either rice, potato or pasta, small batch French wines and desserts, all prepared by chef Jeff Worster and Simply with Style Catering. Dr. Boogie, a funky dance band, is coming from New York City, and there will be an open bar following dinner. Dinner begins at 5 p.m., then dessert, drinks and dancing start at 7 p.m.

Tickets for dinner and dancing are $250 and $50 for the dance portion of the evening. They are available at Nantucket Looms on Federal Street or through Gabrielle Gould, Director of Development for Small Friends, at 508-901-1180.

Small Friends was founded in 1988 by a working group of parents supported by Ann Bradt and the late Bernie and Grace Grossman, who all recognized that without affordable, quality child care for Nantucket's youngest residents there could be no sustainable island workforce. Small Friends has a current student population of 47, but the new facility will be able to accept 65 children from three months of age through pre-school.

In related Small Friends news, the organization purchased a "Smart Car" manufactured by Mercedes-Benz that is eight-feet long, has two seats and gets 45 miles per gallon. The car will be raffled as part of the fundraising effort at a joint family cookout on July 6 involving Small Friends, Nantucket New School and Strong Wings Adventure School. The car arrived on Nantucket last Wednesday and will be on display on Main Street in town on Friday, April 25, then in 'Sconset on Saturday, April 26 during Daffodil Weekend, then in front of Nantucket Looms on Federal Street on Sunday, April 27. Raffle tickets cost $100 and are on sale at Nantucket Looms, Annye's Whole

Foods, at the display sites or by calling Gould. I