The class of 2011: left to right, back row: Maddie Rain, Erin Wilbur, Ellen Fisher, Sam Ferguson. Front row, left to right: William Carson, Emmett Lawrence. (Not pictured: Orion Odegard, Rian Kelley, Julie Price, Teddy McCullough, Alex Cook, Emily Kohring.)

After Christmas and New Year’s, it will be time to get those party duds back out.

The class of 2011 is supporting the class of 2010 with a dinner and auction fundraiser on Jan. 10 at Lopez Center.

“The junior class funds and puts on the senior prom,” Mary Jenison, primary chef for the event, said. “Starting with a small debt this year, we need to have a fundraiser to offset the costs of the prom for the seniors.”

The event starts at 5 p.m. Jenison and John Franklin are the lead chefs and the students will act as sous chefs. The menu includes vegetable curry on jasmine rice, chicken skewers with a Malaysian peanut sauce, Vietnamese noodle salad, and coconut custard for dessert.

“A simple menu, but very delicious,” Jenison said.

Robert Hermann will be auctioneer for the evening. Items include an authentic Mexican dinner for 10 provided by Lupe Crawford, a dinner for eight featuring an outdoor wood-fired oven, hosted by Timothy Maxson at his home, a Thai dinner for 10 cooked by Franklin, and a chocolate cake and a day on Horse Drawn Farms, donated by Kathryn Thomas.

“All good stuff,” Jenison added. “I told the kids that entertainment in one’s home is a good thing.”

Junior Ellen Fisher, who is also publicist for the event, signed up to help cook.

“I did come in on the event a little late but I feel that my classmates are going to fill me in,” she said. “I’m looking forward to helping. It’s just a long tradition at our school and it will be good to be part of that.”

Jenison says that what’s important about fundraising is the participation of the class.

“It shows what you can do when you put your mind to it as a group,” she said. “It teaches young people to take responsibility for the project. They’ll put up posters, talk with people in the community, sell tickets, clean up … all those things are crucial for students to learn before they get out into the big wide world. It blows me away that a huge percentage of the kids show up regularly to our planning meetings. That’s really encouraging.”