(01/04/2019) For more than 20 years the Anoka-Hennepin Educational Foundation (AHEF) has hosted an annual celebration recognizing excellence in the district’s schools called the Northern Stars Celebration.

From games and silent auctions to musical entertainment, the Northern Stars Celebration has something for everyone. Coon Rapids High School students will provide background music during the social hour and dinner. This year’s headlining act will be Jearlyn and Jevetta Steele, two amazing and nationally recognized performers and singers. Jearlyn has an established career in broadcasting and theater and has performed at the Guthrie, the Ordway and at Carnegie Hall. Jevetta is equally established in film and having recorded and toured with Prince, Natalie Merchant, and the Sounds of Blackness in addition to performing with symphonies around the world. Check out this video of Jearlyn and Jevetta.

The celebration is set for 5:30 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, at the Bunker Hills Event Center, located at 12800 Bunker Prairie Rd. NW in Coon Rapids.

The Northern Stars Celebration — in addition to serving as a wonderful night of entertainment — also serves as a community-based fundraiser to support the educational foundation’s three strategic priorities: enhancing early childhood education; expanding talent and opportunity development; and increasing career and college readiness.

The celebration is also a fabulous night out with a chance to meet new people, have fun with friends, and socialize with neighbors. The Northern Stars is a lively — not formal — event that raises funds that make a huge difference for Anoka-Hennepin students.

Parents, staff and members of the community are invited to attend.

Tickets are $75, of which $40 is tax deductible as a charitable donation. Tables of eight are available for $600. Online registration is available at ahschools.us/ahef. Event sponsorships are also available and inquiries should be directed to Tess DeGeest, executive director of the AHEF, at 763-506-1107.

A 501c3 non-profit organization, the AHEF is the non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students and schools throughout the Anoka-Hennepin School District. Since 1991, the AHEF has distributed more than $2.75 million to enrich the educational experience of students.