The New Trier Parents’ Association (NTPA) and New Trier High School collaborated to hold a second annual Trev Fest on Saturday, Sept. 28, in order to raise money for the Angel Fund and celebrate the New Trier community.

Trev Fest is an event featuring live music and food. Four different cover bands performed this year, and all of the bands’ members had a connection to New Trier—whether as an alumnus or parent of a current student. Trev Fest places a big emphasis on bringing New Trier parents together, and the tagline for the event was “parents past, present, and future,” Department Assistant and Secretary to the NTPA Brigid Sexton said.

Trev Fest serves another very important purpose: contributing to the Angel Fund. In 2011, New Trier and the NTPA created this fund to offer financial support to any students in need.

“The fund is [there] to be able to give people dignity and respect, and to ensure that our students who might be having financial needs don’t go without the opportunities that are here at the school,” Winnetka Campus Principal and Assistant Superintendent Denise Dubravec said.

The Angel Fund helps provide students with all the necessities of academic life, and it aids in covering the cost of other New Trier activities, including athletics and school dances.

“The NTPA provides and sets aside money that we can use for the Angel Fund,” Dubravec said. “There are opportunities [where] the school can also provide money to students.”

This year, Trev Fest raised $4,000 for the Angel Fund. Trev Fest is the primary event contributing to the fund, along with donations from the community.

These proceeds have a big impact on the New Trier community. This is especially true because, as Dubravec explained, people experiencing financial need here can be overlooked.

“I think sometimes in our community we may not realize that there are people that need help like this,” Dubravec said. “I really hope that people [who] are thinking about donating something think about this fund because it really does have an impact, and I know the families and the students that we’ve worked with have been forever grateful for those who have donated to it.”

According to Sexton, an event like Trev Fest is a great opportunity for New Trier community members looking to support this cause while also having a good time.

“It’s just a fun night out. The music was great,” Sexton said. “It’s a great way to connect with parents.” 

The idea for the first Trev Fest, which was held in 2023, came from Dubravec.

“Principal Dubravec loves interacting with the parents just as much as she loves interacting with the students,” Sexton said. “That was kind of the main focus of it, just bringing people together.”

The NTPA spent almost a year planning the event this year to ensure that it was successful. According to NTPA member Sara Kirkpatrick, the first Trev Fest meeting was in October of 2023.

It seems the hope is to continue Trev Fest in the future. 

“I do think the event will happen [in] the future,” Kirkpatrick said. “We are scheduling a follow up meeting to discuss the pros and cons after having done the event two times.”

Seeing as Trev Fest is the main event raising money for the Angel Fund, this would continue the support for students and families who are aided by the fund. 

Anyone looking to contribute to the Angel Fund in another way can do so through donations on RevTrak.  

“We really appreciate all the parents that have donated to the fund,” Dubravec said. “[We can] be proud that we have a community that wants to be a part of something like the Angel Fund.”