Why not sound in a Happy New Year 2021 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet at its Big Band Dance Gala? He will surely shake the bay with the 3 O’Clock Jump Big Band playing Swing-era and later songs; the largest dance floors in the bay area; food and drink, a silent auction and a perfect place to watch the San Francisco fireworks show.
This is a win-win event, a party opportunity in a unique setting knowing that the gala is a fundraiser for the USS Hornet Sea’s education department, Air & Space Museum, with a list of programs that use the around the aircraft carrier to teach science and history concepts in a practical and fun way. Since 2012, more than 72,500 students in the Bay Area have benefited from these programs. Attendees at the gala can dance among 800 guests in a disco atmosphere on three dance floors on the enclosed, reduced hangar deck with tables to sit on.
“It’s a cocktail and formal dress, and there are tables to sit on, a very nice night and a lot of people decide to dress fashionably, so there are a lot of people dressed like the 1940s,” said Heidi Schave, Director of Hornet education. “Customers can watch the San Francisco fireworks show at midnight from the flight deck and enjoy a countdown with the band.”
O’Clock Jump’s 3-piece band of 18 pieces will perform songs popularized by Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Harry James and more, encouraging guests to get out of their seats for rumba, cha cha, waltz and the night swing. In the early evening there will be free dance classes for those who want to refine their movements. Englund’s Catering food will be available for purchase, including a vegetarian salad and a three-tip sandwich station, and two large shopping bars will sell a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including bottles of champagne. A silent auction will be created with a theme for everyone.
“We have a lot of variety, from rare wines and antiques to Southwest Airlines tickets, holiday stays in Half Moon Bay and many restaurant certificates around the Alameda,” Schave said.
In addition to the proceeds from the gala and auctions benefiting the museum’s Department of Education, some of the proceeds will go to scholarship programs for Title 1 schools. Several different programs are available. There are guided tours by the Hornet led by teachers who teach visitors how the ship worked and how the sailors lived and served on board; a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) daily education program that uses workshops for students to use the spacecraft to learn concepts such as mechanics, aerospace technology, and electrochemistry in action; and an evening program where students experience a night in the life of a sailor on a World War II aircraft carrier, among others.
“The STEM Night-Ops is a K-12 night program with students touring key areas of the ship. Interactive workshops are parked between historic spaces that show the real application of STEM concepts, ”said Schave. “Classes learn more details about the boat, tour the boat and eat in the mess; it is a very unique experience “.
The Step into History program for courses 8 through 12 meets California’s curricular requirements for 20th-century U.S. history and has students rotate through five stations to learn about the Pacific war strategy and how the war went. influence the history of the Alameda and the bay area In the Passport to History program, students are assigned the identity of a sailor who served on the ship, learn their responsibilities and tour the ship, experiencing the life of the ship. from a unique historical perspective and answering questions based on the sailor each one represents. All of these museum education programs around the USS Hornet are designed to present history, from World War II to the space race and the Apollo mission, within a unique perspective that allows students to see the impact of history and science.
“It’s an experience I don’t think any other classroom can compete with. These programs help all types of learners see how science is applied and how it can be used in different ways, ”said Schave. “I think it helps inspire students who may not have been interested in science before. Our programs are always well received and, once the teachers come, they often return ”.
L’Hornet is a national historical reference as well as being the destination of a unique New Year’s celebration. Buy your tickets early to ensure a well-placed table, bid for auction items, and consider how your proceeds will be passed on to students participating in these educational programs.
If you go there
What: 2020 USS Hornet New Year’s Eve Fundraising Big Band Dance Gala
When: From 7:30 pm to 1 am on December 31st
On: 707 W. Hornet Ave. in Alameda (at Alameda Point, parking is free)
Tickets: $ 65- $ 99 (adults only)
Information: 510-521-8448, uss-hornet.org; donations for educational programs can be made through the Hornet website.