The much anticipated 2nd TASIS Portugal gala didn’t fail to impress! 300 school parents, friends and teachers gathered in the scenic environs of the Penha Longa Resort for a glitzy night of dancing, dining and auction-buying. 

Masterminded by TASIS mums-by-day, organisers-extraordinaire-by-night, Alex Barker, Jess O'Connor, Natasha Ladha, Caroline Duarte and Naffie Israni coordinated a fabulous evening, with an array of parents from across the year groups fully embracing the party spirit. 

Sharp suits and stylish frocks were out in force - a contrast to the typically rather relaxed Cascais expat boho attire at school pick-up. It was a visual treat arriving to pre-dinner drinks with so many stunning outfits and smiling faces in the twilight gardens of a Sintra monastery.

A special thanks to talented event planner and TASIS Elementary parent, Jess of Yellow Jay events, who oversaw the venue logistics, catering, music and audi-visual - she could be spotted Mission Impossible style in black, with headset, coordinating an efficient on-site team to keep the guests happy and timings on track. 

Volunteering her time (a lot of it!) Jess pulled off a 5* event for a fraction of the cost - the generosity of sponsors, combined with ticket sales, meant that all funds raised from the night’s auction and donations will go directly to the school’s parent-led EnrichED fund to support our TASIS children and teachers.

Adrian O’Connor (yes, Jess’ other half!) led the sponsorship team, bringing together some premium brands to sponsor the event - Penha Longha, Mafalda at Lux Properties, Thomas Franks, Fresh Portugal and the White Clinic - these are all businesses closely connected to the TASIS community and we’re so grateful for their support.

TPA co-presidents Amandha Bartshukoff and Oswaldo Corrêa da Costa, alongside Headmaster Keith Chicquen, kicked off the night’s proceedings, welcoming guests and encouraging us to support EnrichED, which funds new school iniaitiaves such as an eco greenhouse, water fountains and specialist science equipment.

Student musicians entertained us with beautiful singing and keyboard ensembles, in a dining room styled by the TASIS decoration team, whilst we enjoyed a 3-course wedding-style banquet and wine, and scrolled our phones to bid on silent auction items. 

The gala committee and wider auction team (thank you Elizabeth O’Shea, Beth Martinez, Kristen Pinto, Maayan Amitai, Adele Perrenoud) assembled an eclectic and enticing list for the silent bids - year-group gift bundles, student art, wellbeing retreats, coaching sessions, holiday homes, fitness passes and many other items were generously donated to help raise money for our school community. 

A cute ‘Plant-it-forward’ initiative made it easy for parents to purchase the trees and plants adorning the dining room (kindly loaned from Horto Praia Grande) and donate these to be planted on the TASIS campus, as part of ongoing landscaping for a greener learning environment for our kids.

As we started dessert, Naffie took to the stage (in her missed vocation!) with wingwomen Chelsea Flagg to compere the live auction, offering some phenomenal prizes including a signed shirt experience with the Portuguese national football team, Centre court Grand Slam tennis tickets, Estoril Riviera membership and a Six Senses Douro getaway.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the auction - the live bidding and silent purchases - your support is appreciated, and we hope you love the experiences and items that you’ve won!

An impressive €67,334 was raised in total from the event - topping last year - a heart-warming achievement for a relatively new International school and testament to the goodwill and generosity of TASIS families.

***** If you’d like to make a donation before this year’s gala campaign ends, you can do so HERE - you could help tip the fundraisiing total over €70k! ***** 

Links to check out the wonderful event sponsors and partners:

Penha Longa Resort

https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/lisrz-penha-longa-resort/weddings/

Mafalda at Lux Properties

 +351 968 639 805

Thomas Franks 

https://thomasfranks.com/portugal/

Fresh Portugal

https://freshportugal.com/

White clinic  

https://whiteclinic.pt/en/

Yellow Jay Events

https://www.instagram.com/yellowjayevents/