We have just over one week to go before the Run for the Arts sponsor sheets are due on September 30 with the Run taking placing on October 1.

At a recent school-wide assembly, the kids were given a choice of incentives and we had one clear winner:

If our students raise at least $18,000, the teachers have agreed to get pie in the face!  This means the student in each class who raises the most funds for our arts program this year gets the honor of throwing a pie their teacher’s face — and the top fund raiser in the school gets Anne!

Let’s all support our students’ fund raising efforts to reach the goal so they can pie their teachers.  We can do this by bringing them around our place of work to ask co-workers to sponsor them and by helping them call upon family, friends and neighbors.  The following is a version of an email one SW Charter family sends out each year and it’s very effective in paving the way for support.

Sample email:

Dear:

_Student first name_____ is just finishing his/her first few weeks of ______ grade at Southwest Charter School in Portland.    Because we’re in a public charter school, it receives about 40% less funding per student than a Portland Public school.   While that leaves the kids with less money for things such as libraries, gyms, computer labs, and art programs, the school more than makes up for what they miss out on with incredible teachers, plus an amazing curriculum and community.Sadly, we just found out that in addition to our usually low art funding, we lost another $10,000 this year from the Oregon State arts tax that we were to receive as well. The state is withholding these funds from state-funded charter schools like ours. This will really have an impact on the kids.

On October 1, our school is hosting its annual “Run for the Arts,” a jog-a-thon fundraiser that allows children to seek sponsors and complete laps during a 30-minute run to earn money for the arts programs this year, to provide funds for supplies, resident artists, teaching musicians and performances.  This year, these funds are more important than ever.

If you think this is something that you might like to help with, we encourage you to pledge so that  student name  can raise money by the number of laps he/she completes on October 1. She/he estimates that she will be able to complete about  laps in 1/2 hour.

Right now we hope to be able to add you to our sponsor list.   You can sponsor by lap or by a single tax-deductible contribution. After the run is complete the totals will be added and you will hear from me as to how we did!   If the students reach the goal of raising $18,000, the teachers have agreed to students throwing pies at their faces at the Awards Ceremony in November!  This is not your average school!

You need not reply to this email. __student name___ will be talking, calling, or Face Timing/Skyping you within the week to ask for help. This letter is to educate you about this program and warn you that our (adjective) son/daughter will be hitting you up for donation very soon.  So get ready!

This email can be shaped to your style of communication; its main function is to explain why the students and many of the staff members are running and seeking support.

For questions about event day, please contact Adrienne Smith at absinor@gmail.com.