St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, 3900 Mechanicsville Road, Whitehall, operates a preschool and a state-accredited full-day kindergarten. School Director Marybeth Celona, of Breinigsville, noted the school serves about 120 students.

Celona and her volunteer team held a basket social with food and snacks for attendees to raise funds for their school. Celona began her morning of the event, held 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., as a cheerful greeter and warmly saying hello to attendees. She then transformed into a utility person, helping wherever she was needed.

Three chipper volunteers staffed the food and snack table — Terri Kramer and Marne Dietrich, of Whitehall, and Chad Markulics, of Fogelsville, who was wearing a bright Penn State sweatshirt. He greeted other Penn Staters with the call: “We are...” and others replying “Penn State!”

Northampton youngsters Eden and Kade Lotti were with their parents, Jason and Holly. The kids’ eyes were wide open at the event.

The Winters family of Whitehall — dad Robert, mom Jessica and kids Kaden, Quinn and Eliza — were looking at basket prizes, particularly the WOW prizes that had the highest value and may have required a special ticket to bid on them.

There were about 100 basket/gift card selections, many in colorful baskets and on colorfully decorated tables. The three volunteers selling the tickets were so busy they could not pause for a picture.

Experts widely agree that high-quality preschool and kindergarten schooling provides significant, long-term value, boosting cognitive skills like improved literacy and math skills, social emotional development and classroom readiness for first and early grades.

Key benefits of quality preschool and kindergarten are an increase in lower grade-learning retention, fewer behavioral problems and improved high school graduation rates.

One could see the basket social was a fun event to raise money for St. Stephen’s Episcopal School’s preschool and kindergarten programs to lead to a better education for its students.