On Saturday, November 15, the Washington Township Schools community stepped back in time for an unforgettable evening of games, dancing, and nostalgia at BASH ’25: Through the Decades, celebrating the Washington Township Schools Foundation’s 40th Anniversary.

Pep Rally Kickoff

To get the night started off right, the “Pep Rally” started outside on the patio, before guests even walked in the door! There, guests recreated their best high school moments and launched a t-shirt cannon to deliver fun, exclusive, vintage-style Panthers swag! T-shirt Cannon Provided by Stickle Steam Specialties and t-shirts for each participant were provided by Tactive.

Retro-Inspired Menu

Don’t worry about the school lunch menu, BASH guests had their choice of a nacho bar, baked potato bar, or wood fired pizzas made fresh throughout the night. Those with a sweet tooth had a choice of retro treats like hand-crafted “Cosmic Brownies” and “Rice Krispie Treats” prepared  by the talented students in the JEL Culinary Arts Program. J. Everett Light Career Center is dedicated to providing programs that allow local high school students to explore their passion in an innovative, hands-on, and real-world environment.

Time Travel Surprise

Great Scott!!! Somehow Doc Brown (expertly played by actor Mark Cashwell)  traveled to an event full of people out of time, well their correct year anyways! Good thing he was able to get folks sorted out with a temporal displacement ticket to get that peddlebike up to 88mph and fix the timeline.

Adult Throwbacks

Grown ups at the 21+ event felt like kids, sipping adult “Capri Suns” and “Roadie Sodies” while taking a leisurely tour of Indianapolis’ most famous sights on Handlebar peddlebike rides. “Bottoms Up” draft beer magnets were provided by cch+a Attorneys at Law.

Blockbuster Pop-Up

Guests visited our pop-up Blockbuster store for a nostalgic hit. In our own miniature video store, guests were invited to “Make it a Blockbuster Night” by choosing a movie from the shelf. Inside each VHS case was a gift card worth $25 – $50. If guests weren’t thrilled with their prize, they could “Be Kind, Rewind” and re-draw for a nominal fee. Thank you to the many area restaurants and retailers for their generosity in making “Make it a Blockbuster Night” possible!

Interactive Giving Wall

An interactive display showed how generosity fuels the full picture of a Washington Township Schools education. Participants could purchase a blank page to remove it from the display and reveal a piece of the WTSF story. Every participant helped “Fund-A-Grant” and received an exclusive piece of swag to recognize their support. One lucky winner also scored a retro-active prize at the end of the night! The wins continued with the $500 “Lunch Money” raffle. Many tickets were purchased, but there could only be one winner, and that was Aaron Lucy! Thank you to EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants for providing this years BASH Cash prize.

Arcade Throwbacks & Competitions

Arcade Throwbacks were available for open play until 7:30, when the competition began! For a chance at a retro-active prize, participants could enter to compete in the Happy Gilmore Closest to the Pin golf challenge or the Top Gun Flight Simulator speed challenge. Atari and Super Nintendo gaming systems were the grand prizes, provided by Scott Legal Group and Howald Heating and Air.

Silent Auction

One of the perennial highlights of BASH, this year’s silent auction was no exception! With a diverse collection of over 300 incredible items and experiences, the night saw old school “Penny Wars” with big winners. Some of the most popular items of the evening included a Private Chef Dinner Party, a Lake Michigan cottage stay, exclusive school experiences and more. A huge thank you to everyone who provided items for the auction – you can see a full list of our generous donors below!

Sign My Yearbook Champions

Before the event even began, seven amazing champions raised more than $10,000 to kickstart our biggest fundraiser of the year. We proudly added Kara Pulley, Michael Johnson, Beth Shelby, Chelsea Peresie, Abby Gardner, Jilly Kropa, and top fundraiser Sally Gray to our “Honor Roll.”

Music Through the Decades

Music for the night was provided by Red Squad Entertainment, who played music from one decade each hour from the 1980s at 6pm to today, wrapping up by 10pm.