Businesses Donate to School Foundation

Alsie Encarnacion awaits the after-school rush for ice cream and chocolate at in Millbrae.

The store manager’s customers had an extra incentive last night to buy. From 3 p.m to closing, 15 percent of store proceeds were be donated to the Millbrae Education Foundation as part of its inaugural Night Out event.

“We always tell them that we are doing fundraising for the schools, so they buy more,” jokes Encarnacion.

She says she is happy to help out local schools because students are the confectionery’s top customers.

Audrey Reimer enjoys a cup of strawberry ice cream for her fifth birthday with her brother Marcus and babysitter Colleen Brennan.

Brennan says she didn’t know about MEF Night Out but would have come to support the schools had she known. 

“The Millbrae schools are suffering so much,” she says.

Sweet Memories Confectionery was among six businesses that participated on Tuesday, some donating as much 20 percent of proceeds to the cause. The other businesses were: Caffe Roma, , , , and Fresh Choice in San Bruno.

“We are very pleased that they’ve all agreed to do this,” said Dierdri Gladwin, MEF president. “It really shows that the businesses are very supportive of the community, children, of schools.”

MEF has raised about a third of its fundraising goal of $225,000, which is one the reasons the foundation is trying something new, Gladwin said.

“We hope to have people become more aware of the Millbrae Education Foundation and we are hoping to have a lot of participation from our families and communities,” she said.

MEF has additional Night Out events planned for April 12 and May 10.

MEF will be making a donation to Millbrae School District this spring, Gladwin said.

“What we are trying to do is support the best in student learning in our schools.”