Thank you for coming out and supporting your school these last 3 events. Due to your participation we were able to raise over $8500 over the last three school events alone. Our school Fair was the largest in the last 6 years, and earned over $7000 – almost twice that of the year before.
A big part of this success was the number of volunteers who came forward to take personal responsibility for certain events. My motto this year has been “Ask not what Roden Fundraising can do for the you, but what you can do for Roden Fundraising.” And several dynamic people took that to heart, asking whether they could run the bouncy castle, the games, the auction table.
First, though, – Thank you to all of you Whether you baked, or schlepped, or talked up the events, wrangled your uncle or neighbours into contributing, dropped off a cheque, or bought 60 tickets at the fun fair. Thank you for caring. Truly, truly, no effort was too small, or unappreciated.
Thank you to the hoards of parent volunteers, and of STUDENT volunteers. Thank you Grade 8s, who now move onto other pastures; thank you grade 7s and 6s, I hope we see you again next year; thank you returning grade 9 (and beyond) students, for remembering us and coming back year after year.
Thank you TEACHERS! Who have given of their time, and their (and their students) talents. Thank you Mr Lam and Mr Mighton, thank you Ms Montgomery and Mr Parker and Louise, who conscripted volunteers, and helped with audio equipment, and leant their artistic expertise. And thank you to the custodial staff who clean up after our hijinks.
A personal thank you to the following volunteers of the last 3 events, who volunteered repeatedly, or who took on their own projects that leant to the overall success of our Fundraising Events:
Adrienne,Charlotte,Nadia,Tanya, Angelie, Melissa H., Renee, Natalie, Guillermo, Georgia, Eileen, Suzanne, Connie, Denise, Saba, Julie , Bogdan, Sarah, and Angela
Thank you to the moms of the South Asian Community for the Buffet and Henna!
And to anyone I forgot! Know that it is due to lack of brain cells, not gratitude. Thank you.
This is also a year of good-byes. We are bidding goodbye to dynamic duo Charlotte and Adrienne. Charlotte and Adrienne were the force behind Movie Nights and Bake Sales, Breakfast Club and Staff Appreciation events. They were the founders of the fundraising committee, from when “Committee” was just 2-4 women and the funds raised had dropped to near zero. They have given many good years to the school – more than we had any right to expect. And we say goodbye to me as the Chair,’though I won’t be straying far.
Looking forward, I picture the role of the Fundraising Chair as a touch point for many other committees – a School Fair Committee, a Movie Night Committee, a Bake Sale Committee, a School Dance Committee. You get the idea. It keeps fundraising from being the domain of a few people. “Ask not what Roden Fundraising can do for the you, but what you can do for Roden Fundraising.” If you have one passion, and can see yourself organising that one event with your friends, that’s all the commitment you have to make! (I would love to see a school play…nudge, nudge, actor parents.) And if you can see yourself in the role of Fundraising Chair, I can speak for how rewarding it is. There are no rules. You can make it what you want it to be.
Have a wonderful summer, everyone.
Schenandoah Wilson
Erstwhile Fundraising Chair, Roden School Council