TamPalooza Takes it up a Notch to Help Fund New Student Center

With the renovation of the new Tam High student center in the works, organizers are taking the annual TamPalooza spring fundraiser to the next level to help pay for the $100,000 project.

The May 9 event has moved from the Outdoor Art Club to a larger venue at Sweetwater Music Hall. The evening will feature a host of live bands, an open bar provided by local sponsors, and a live and silent auction with items that range from gift certificates to tickets to a Saturday Night Live show in New York City to a stay at Calistoga Ranch in Napa.

Live music includes Tam High students Devon Lawrence and Ali MacMillian, and headlining band Olive and the Dirty Martinis. Sponsors include Garnet Vineyards, Charbay Vodka, Laughing Glass Cocktails and Mill Valley Beerworks, as well as a menu from Sweetwater chef Gordon Drysdale. Desserts are provided by Nothing Bundt Cakes.

“This happens annually, but this time we’re trying to raise more money for the student center, so it’s bigger than usual,” said Molly Williams, co-chair of the event and a member of the Tam High Foundation.

The student center was not a part of the modernization project, but the school community took matters into its own hands and using funds generated from the Centennial gala in 2008, Tam High kicked off the first phase of the improvement plan last summer.

Now completed, it included upgrading the interior of the building with fresh paint, a laptop bar, microwave counter, water bottle filling station, and soft seating areas.

“It’s just being used a lot more,” Williams said.

This summer, Tam High will start the second phase of the project, which focuses on the exterior and includes installing a new Nana sliding door, hardscape improvements, outdoor seating and more.

Williams said TamPalooza usually raises around $30,000, and organizers hope to generate significantly more this year. The Tam High Foundation has also launched a brick campaign, where students, parents, alumni or anyone with interested in leaving a permanent mark on the school can purchase a personalized brick, which starts at $250, and have it incorporated into the new outdoor hardscape.

IF YOU GO:

What: TamPalooza
When: May 9, 6 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Where: Sweetwater Music Hall
Tickets: $125 and can be purchased at www.tampalooza.com. The Tam High Foundation is also giving away two free tickets on Facebook.

Here's what else is happening on Mill Valley Patch:

• Police Blotter: A Depot Coffee Ruined by Power Tools and a Surge in Prom Night Noise Gripes
• Police Arrest Alleged Drunk Driver After Crash into 2am Club
• Edna Maguire Won't Be Ready in the Fall — District to Extend School Day to Make December Move Work
• New Homes For Sale in Mill Valley This Week
• Mom Home With Two Kids Deters Kipling Drive Burglars
• Man Accused of Scamming Marin Couple Out of $1.6M Alleges 24-Hour Jail Lockdown
• Lt. Gov. Newsom Bails on Supes Meeting to Hail Marin Voter Turnout
• Marin Residents: Slow Down Plan Bay Area Housing Plan
• State Releases New Numbers on Suspensions and Expulsions at Tam High
• Chase Bank Looks to Build Branch at Blithedale-Camino Alto Gas Station Site
• Evacuation Drill in Panoramic & Edgewood Areas Planned for May 4

For local news like this wherever you go, follow us! And don't forget to sign up for our daily e-newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

"Like" us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for the daily Mill Valley Patch newsletter | Start a blog