Successful fundraising organized by parents

Contact:
Patrick Audet, Principal
Twin Rivers Elementary School, SD #20

Process:
“Parents for Russian” occasionally do fundraising and traditionally have held a cake walk.  With the implementation of the Guidelines, they knew they had to do something different and decided to do a “healthy dessert” walk instead.  An advertisement went home to the parents, along with some suggestions of items to make, primarily fruit based desserts.

People involved:
principal, “Parents for Russian”, Russian teacher

Key changes or results:
Parents were very creative.  One dad decided he was not going to make dessert; he was going to bake bread.  He also attached the recipe – the bread looked beautiful and was the most sought after item. As parents/students left there was trading going on.  It was extremely successful.  The group raised about $500.  The food was great, everyone had fun, and it was healthy food.  No cakes or cupcakes with icing – muffins, bread, cookies, many with recipes attached or labelled.

Challenges:
There is both a PAC and a “Parents for Russian” group, as Castlegar has a K-12 Russian bilingual program.  The Parents for Russian group sometimes needs to fundraise, for example to support the Russian choir, or for celebrations such as providing the students with borsht and bread.  Traditionally they have fundraised with cake walks and “number calling”.  Patrick Audet, the principal at Twin Rivers said “you can’t do that anymore, we have to find a different way”.

Keys to success:
As per Natalie Hipwell, parent “It was great! We all, including the kids, had a blast.  We made as much money, if not more, as in previous years.”  They also featured Russian foods – borsht and bread and pyrahi – like a perogie only baked.  Most people brought healthier items – fruit pies, muffins, no cakes, fruit skewers, strawberries dipped in a little chocolate, a few cupcakes with icing, but not many.  Overall it was a success.