More than 300 women enjoyed a night of shopping and dining Wednesday as they fundraised for educational grants and programs for Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A.

"Ladies Night Out on the Red Carpet" was held at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club, 1 Pete Dye Drive, and featured more than 25 vendors, professional dancing lessons, raffles and cocktails. The event was the brainchild of employees at the golf club who wanted to host a fun, philanthropic night for the community.

"We've done things like this in the past, but we really wanted to make this a successful fundraiser for a group in the community that needed help," said Lisa Lutz, a golf outing organizer at Ruffled Feathers who helped plan the event.

The District 113A Educational Foundation was founded in May after the district lost more than $3.17 million in staff and programs. Its purpose is to provide financial resources beyond the district's operating budget, which students and teachers may use toward educational enrichment.

Mara Tunzi, president of the foundation, said the group was "beyond excited" when Ruffled Feathers approached them about Ladies Night Out.

"We're so grateful for this opportunity and to have such tremendous support from parents, teachers and community members," she said.

Though Ruffled Feathers organized most of the vendors, food and entertainment for the event, Tunzi said volunteers from the foundation helped with promotion and ticket sales. The two organizations split ticket proceeds, but the Educational Foundation was able to keep 100 percent of revenue from raffles and silent auctions, she said.

Items sold by vendors ranged from fine jewelry to custom-made stationary and frames. Among the raffle items were several donated gift baskets and a grand prize trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Dancing lessons were provided by Fred Astaire Dance Studio, which co-sponsored the event with Willow House, Stella and Dot, and Viking Travel.

"This has been such a great turnout," Tunzi said. "This will help us as we begin providing grants for teachers in the school district."

According to Tunzi, teachers have already started working on grant proposals for the foundation. All proposed projects must align with school goals and benefit a great number of students, she said.

In light of the failed $8 million referendum Tuesday and the significant cuts still facing the district, the foundation is even more committed to supporting academic programs, volunteers said.

"Regardless of the referendum, it's important for parents and the community to do their part and support the educational interests of the children," foundation member Michele Metzler said. "But after Tuesday, this is something positive to focus on."

Tunzi said she and other board members hope more parents and residents will get involved with the foundation in the coming months.

"With teachers' budgets being reduced and class sizes being so large, our biggest goal is to maintain the quality of education for the students," she said. "Despite the cuts, we as a community need to be able to provide an enriching experience for them."

The District 113A Educational Foundation will host its next fundraiser, "Superbowl Shuffle," next year on Saturday, Feb. 5. The event will feature food, drinks, a silent auction, raffles and a performance by the Neverly Brothers.

For more information on the foundation, visit their website at www.sd113afoundation.org.