Gambol, a Port Washington tradition now in its 63rd year, is gearing up for a magical event for the Schreiber High School Class of 2015. Gambol will be held on Friday, June 26 at Castle Gould at the Sands Point Preserve. Gambol, which means “to frolic” or “run or jump about playfully,” is a gift to the Schreiber graduating seniors from the parents and community members. While there are some outside vendors, most of the work is done by parents and community members, starting with planning the summer before, soliciting donations, holding fundraising events, creating car magnets and apparel to sell, and then set construction to build some of the pieces that will be used to transform the castle.
The event is always highly anticipated, with the graduating students arriving on a Red Carpet. It is possible only with the support and hard work of parents and community members.
For the past several months, the Schreiber HSA and its Social Events Committee have hosted a series of adult social events with two purposes: to cultivate a sense of togetherness and cheer and to raise money for Gambol 2015. These themed events have included the GAMBOL 2015 Kickoff at LaMotta’s Waterside Restaurant, Thirsty Thursday at Finn MacCools, Back to College Night hosted by the Nahas family on January 31 and, more recently, the BBQ Bash hosted by the Hirsch family on April 24. These events were possible because of a dedicated and hard working committee and the generosity of local businesses and Schreiber parents and friends. The involved parents now channel their energies towards the production of GAMBOL itself.
The committee is currently selling Seniorgrams, a 36-character message that can be crafted to congratulate favorite seniors, a family friend, neighbor, babysitter, or son or daughter, on their graduation from Schreiber High School. Each Seniorgram costs $3 and they can be sent to multiple members of the graduating class. Order forms are available at schreiberhsa.org/gambol.
Part of the tradition of Gambol is that the venue is open on the day of the event to members of the community for a public viewing. This year’s public viewing will be on Friday, June 26 from 3 to 5 p.m. There is no charge for parking at the Sands Point Preserve for the viewing. People come year after year to see how the space is transformed based on that year’s theme. Historically, the theme was a secret from the students to add to their level of surprise as they walked in the space. According to Gambol 2015 chairperson Karen Sambursky, this year “the results will be magnificent.”
For Gambol-related questions, contact Gambol 2015 Chairperson Karen Sambursky at SHSGambol2015@gmail.com.
