Thank you to our 2025 donors (more to come!)!
Athleta
Bluebird Boutique
Convention Grill
Cos Bar
Diamonds Direct
Discover Strength
France 44
The Glow Lounge
Grandview Tire & Auto
Gavin Kaysen - Spoon & Stable
Mall of America
Mann Theatres
Mint Orthodontics
Monte Carlo
Puralima
Ramesh Shanmugavel
Sunnyside Gardens
Three Rivers Park District
Westin Edina Galleria
Wildgrain
Emily Witt Photography
YogaFit Studios
Dr. Meredith Baker
Raquel and Chris De La Mater
Medora Mrachek and Hiram Hamilton
Maggie and Greg Hildebrand and TRIA orthopedics
Alex Johnson & Ochs Chromiak Family
Roxanne May 4th grade teacher at Normandale
Lindsay Melander
Alissa Ochs
Olfelt Family
Denise Small
Warczak Family
SPONSORSHIPs
Secure VIP Seating, Tickets & Support the French Intern Program
In addition to attending La Belle Soirée, you can make a greater impact as a sponsor. Packages include hard-to-get tickets, VIP tables, and reserved seats, along with recognition across the PTO website, OneCause event site, social media, email, and Gala signage. Sponsorships directly fund visas, housing, stipends, and health insurance for 28+ native French interns who enrich classrooms across Edina.
Check out how you can sponsor here: Sponsorship Packages
Email Maggie Hildebrand or Sarah Odde Lynch today to secure your package.
GALA 101
When is La Belle Soirée?
Saturday, November 8, 2025 6:00 - 11:00 pm (program at 8 pm sharp!)
Who attends La Belle Soirée?
Edina French Immersion parents, teachers/faculty/staff, and interns.. While the majority tends to be Normandale families, we encourage anyone in the Frenchie community to buy a ticket, donate an auction item, host a Community Connection event and/or donate to Fund-an-Intern!
Why do we have La Belle Soirée ?
Normandale Elementary, and the Edina French Immersion programs at Valley View and EHS, rely on 28 native French interns that come to Edina each year to share their culture and language support in the classroom. The interns are vital to this program. This year, Edina French Immersion families need to raise money to cover the visa application, costs, health insurance and teacher stipends. This program is 100% funded by parent contributions and we are grateful for this community's dedication to excellence in French language & culture. Throughout the year, we request intern dues and hold fundraisers to support this robust program. We need your help to continue making La Belle Soiree our biggest fundraiser.
What do I do at La Belle Soirée?
Eat, drink, mingle, fundraise and dance…to name a few! It’s a wonderful night to connect with other families, faculty, staff and interns. We’ll start with a social hour that includes heavy apps and drinks. Drinks can be purchased with cash or club charge (if you are a member at ICC or a club with reciprocity). There'll be a few fun activities during the social hour as well. All silent auction bidding and Community Connections sign-up will be mobile. We’ll have the silent auction items on-site to view. At 8 pm we’ll close the silent auction and start the program. The best part! The program will conclude with the live auction and the fund-an-intern donation ask. After that it’s dancing time with DJ Omaur Bliss & The Sessions (think DJ with live vocals and instruments). And don’t forget about desserts and late night snacks.
How do I buy a ticket?
Tickets for La Belle Soirée will go on sale on October 8, 2025. The link will be on the Normandale PTO website, school Facebook pages, La Liaison, through room parent communication and more. It’s $135/person. In previous years this event has sold out, so buy your tickets early.
How do I view silent auction items and sign-up for Community Connections?
The silent auction and Community Connections will preview on November 3rd at 12 pm and open for bidding on November 5th at 12 pm. The silent auction will close on November 8th (gala night) at 8 pm and Community Connections will stay open a while after the event. We encourage people to take their silent auction items home with them that night if possible. When you purchase your ticket, be sure to enter your cell phone number so you can get text message updates leading up to the event and gala night.
When should we arrive and should we eat before?
We know people LOVE to have gala pre-parties, but the night goes by so fast and the program starts right at 8 pm, so please try to get there right away to celebrate our amazing Edina French Immersion community. As for food, we’ll have heavy apps, dessert and late night snacks, but you know yourself best, so plan accordingly.
What should I wear to La Belle Soirée?
Most people wear cocktail attire. You’ll even spot some black tie outfits as well. It’s such a fun excuse to dress up and look your best. The theme this year is gold & glitter, but you certainly can wear whatever you want. The only rule at ICC is no denim.
What happens if I win an auction item?
All bidding is mobile so you’ll be alerted on your phone. We encourage you to check-out that night at and bring your item home. If you don’t, that means the committee, who worked so hard to plan the gala, will have to coordinate an alternative pick-up for you. Let’s try to avoid that! :) That said, PLEASE BID if you are unable to attend the event. We will coordinate pick-up for you at another date. If you won a live auction item, you’ll be given an envelope with information for redemption during the program.
Need more info?
If you have any questions before La Belle Soirée , please contact Betsy Mulvehill (betsy.mulvehill@gmail.com).
5 Ways to Get Involved in La Belle Soirée
1. Volunteer - A sign-up will come out soon, but please consider volunteering. Here are some of the ways:
Solicit silent and live auction item
Spread the word about sponsorships and pass on any leads
Sign-up to be a volunteer the night of La Belle Soirée to help with things like check-in, silent auction check-out, and more.
For questions, please reach out to Betsy Mulvehill (betsy.mulvehill@gmail.com).
2. Silent / Live Auction & Giving - Consider donating a silent or live auction item - anything large or small. Ideas include: a gift card to a local store or restaurant, event/sports tickets, gift baskets, experiences, vacations and more. The sky's the limit! Additionally, we are hoping for 5 “big ticket” Live Auction items so if you have any connections or experiences to donate, we’d love to know! There will also be an opportunity to donate to the “Fund-an-Intern” effort before, during or after the gala. A link will be up on the Normandale PTO website soon. All silent and live auction items due October 24th. Please reach out to Sarah Priest (sarah.iannacone@gmail.com) with questions or if you have a local connection or an item you’d like to donate.
3. Community Connections - We need hosts for the school-wide parties we call “Community Connections.” We are looking for parents in all grades to host student and parent parties big and small to help us build community! It could be a skating party at a local rink with hot cocoa, an outdoor movie night or an adult multi-host wine tasting party. You pick the theme, budget, number of people you’d like to host and then charge a “price” for someone to purchase a spot at your Community Connection event. All proceeds from these fun events benefit our intern program! Please contact Kristen Angel (kristen@angeldesign.studio) with questions. Ready to submit your event? Click here! All events must be submitted by October 24th.
4.Sponsorships - We are offering sponsorships to offset the cost of La Belle Soirée, and therefore make more money for the intern program. Please reach out to Maggie Hildebrand (maggiemhildebrand@gmail.com) for more information if your company or a company you know of would be interested.
5. Buy a Ticket - Tickets are $135/person in order to make this event a true fundraiser. Tickets will go on sale October 8, 2025. There will be a link on the Normandale PTO website.
