The first Eagle Excellence Showcase will be held Saturday in the solarium at the district’s new Valley View Campus, 11840 Valley View Road. File photo
Eden Prairie Schools and the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools (FEPS) will jointly host the first-ever Eagle Excellence Showcase, a gala celebrating the achievements of the district and its members. The event is set for 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, in the solarium at the new Valley View Campus, 11840 Valley View Road.
The gala is a fundraiser for FEPS and is meant to “celebrate all of the excellence that exists here within the Eden Prairie Schools community,” according to Molly Malone, the district’s director of community engagement and alumni relations.
The Eagle Excellence Showcase serves as a revamped version of FEPS’ Red & Black Gala, the organization’s annual fundraiser for the school district. Normally held in the spring, the Red & Black Gala was expected to move to the fall this year because of past scheduling and weather challenges, but was instead merged into the plans for the Eagle Excellence Showcase.
“In the early stages of planning, the district approached us to see if we’d be interested in being a part of an event to recognize their first inaugural class of their newly-created Hall of Fame program, and since we usually recognize our Legacy Award Nominees and Recipients at our Annual Gala, we thought a combined event bringing together several individuals who would be recognized for their part in educational excellence in the district made sense,” FEPS Executive Director Lisa Sisinni said in an email statement.
A main feature of the showcase is the recognition of the inaugural class of the EP Schools Hall of Fame, a cohort of 20 alumni, staff and other community members who have made an impact inside and outside of the district.
Inductees include Rachel (Bootsma) Reiser, an Olympic gold medalist swimmer; David Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox; and Solome Tibebu, a national leader in mental health advocacy and founder of Behavioral Health Tech.
Malone said that while the district has always tried to recognize alumni and staff achievements – and some athletic programs even have their own halls of fame – it had never launched a “coordinated, districtwide effort.” Rather than create a traditional hall of fame focused primarily on athletics, she said EP Schools wanted to broaden the scope of inductees and celebrate them with a special event that also aligned with FEPS’ own goals.
“We knew that FEPS was revamping their annual fundraising gala, and so the stars just kind of aligned,” Malone said.
Along with honoring the inaugural Hall of Fame cohort, the showcase will feature the winners of FEPS’ Legacy Award, which recognizes “outstanding teachers, staff, students, volunteers, alumni and community members who contribute to the success and excellent reputation of our school district,” according to the FEPS website.
This year’s Legacy Award winners include Ryan Kuffel, a school resource officer; Samantha Curtiss, a second-grade teacher at Oak Point Elementary; and Laura Mahoney, a paraprofessional at Central Middle School.
The Eagle Excellence Showcase will also recognize various contributions and achievements by district staff, including Linda Wallenberg, a longtime English teacher at Eden Prairie High School who was named the 2025 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Malone said.
“We’re hoping people will just walk away feeling good and excited to be a part of the Eden Prairie Schools community,” Malone said.
In addition to the formal recognition ceremony, the gala will feature a catered sit-down dinner, live music, a photo booth, and auction items. Attendees can bid on prizes such as a Minnesota State Capitol tour with state Sen. Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-49, Eden Prairie); a three-night trip for two to either Las Vegas or Lake Tahoe; and 20 auction baskets that include items such as cocktail sets and books, according to a FEPS email sent Sunday.
Cwodzinski, who taught government classes at Eden Prairie High School for decades, will serve as the emcee for the celebration.
“We’re really excited to have somebody who has such deep knowledge and relationships with the district serving in that capacity,” Malone said.
The showcase is open to the public, and Malone said she hopes the community will join in celebrating the accomplishments of district staff and alumni while also supporting FEPS and its mission to benefit Eden Prairie Schools.
“The way that the district shapes people, and the way that the district attracts amazing people who have created these experiences for others,” Malone said. “It’s really just recognizing the people behind Eden Prairie Schools.”
Tickets for the Eagle Excellence Showcase are available here. Sales close at noon Thursday, Oct. 2.