Keeping the FUN in FUNdraising!
Cornerstone launched its annual fall, service-first, peer-to-peer fundraiser with our traditional Chili Kick-off event held on Monday, October 28. Our students attended an assembly earlier that afternoon, which included hearing the message of our guest speaker, Steve Hoyt from Engineering Ministries International. Our families learned more about this important fundraiser following chili and fellowship that evening.
Our theme this year was Building Hope Together. As we have been doing since 2021, we donated the first fruits of our fundraiser to a cause beyond ourselves. This year, we split the donation between two worthy causes -- $1,556 to Engineering Ministries International (to help them fulfill their mission of designing a world of hope) and $1,556 to ACSI Cares Crisis Response Fund (to help the survivors of the fall hurricanes in the southern US).
With great thanks to the families who helped raise funds and the donors who generously gave, we grossed $44,444 through Building Hope Together. Additionally, we were able to keep our fundraiser expenses to less than 1.35% (under $600). This was in large part due to the support of the two sponsors of our incentives – Cornerstone Educational Support, Inc. and Silk City Coffee (who together covered our incentive costs of nearly $1,000). Our net funds raised were $40,735. The fall fundraiser brings in the lion’s share of our annual fundraising, which enables us to keep our tuition as low as possible.
Although we did not reach our overall goal of $60,000, we did reach our first four incentive goals. In return, our students received the following four incentive rewards: $10K – faculty/staff/administrator talent show; $20K – ice cream sundaes; $30K – “Halfway There!” celebration for “homeroom” classes that achieved their calculated classroom goal; $40K – spring traveling science assembly.
Throughout the fundraiser, we held Friday Family Fun activities after school for three consecutive Fridays. Snacks, crafts, and fellowship were enjoyed by those who attended. We also held our Service & Celebration Finale on Tuesday, November 19. Our students joined together in their partner grades as they experienced a variety of service and celebration activities that day, including the talent show, playing Gaga, ice cream sundaes, decorating placemats and ornaments for senior citizens in Manchester and international students in the Storrs area, and more!
Coming this winter, we will again hold our annual virtual silent auction with bake sale and Mini Golf Mania. This year, our weeklong virtual auction will launch our mini golf event, instead of vice versa as we have been doing.
