Elementary- and secondary-level competitions add a dash of fun to the Piedmont schools’ largest annual fundraiser.
Good-natured rivalry abounds at the moment, as schools, grades, and boards vie for the honor of highest participation levels in the Giving Campaign. A variety of contests with exciting prizes are inspiring a wave of participation across Piedmont’s schools.”We’re encouraging widespread participation in The Giving Campaign this year with fun contests to help drive awareness and donations,” says Giving Campaign co-chair Colleen Allan. “We ask every family to make a meaningful contribution – whether that’s $50 or $50,000. It’s not how much you give, but that you give.”
The lucky members of the first Piedmont school parent board to achieve 100% participation in the Giving Campaign will receive a special gift: a pair of delicious specialty cocktails. Currently, Millennium High School’s board is in the lead, with an incredible 80% of their board members participating, closely followed by the Piedmont Middle School and Havens Parents Club boards, each with 79% contributing to the Giving Campaign.
On a district basis, PEF is tracking parent participation by student grade. The grade level that achieves the highest level of parent participation at the end of the campaign will enjoy a special family night out and taco truck party. The all-time grade level participation record was set in 2019-2020 by parents of second-graders, with 80% of families donating to the Giving Campaign – that’s this year’s fourth-grade parents. Currently, Piedmont’s kindergarten and 3rd-grade parents are neck-and-neck, with 44% of families contributing.
School-level results will be announced as well. The Piedmont school with the highest level of participation in the campaign will get bragging rights and a big boost to their school spirit! Wildwood Elementary is currently in the lead here, with 41% of school families participating.
Fun and games aside, high Giving Campaign participation levels are crucial to the success of our schools. The funds from the Giving Campaign help keep Piedmont class sizes small and fund a broad array of student needs, from wellness to classroom aides to libraries and arts.
“We are asking every family in the district to participate in the Giving Campaign as a show of support for our schools, our children, and our community,” says Giving Campaign co-chair Christine Wente von Metzsch. “The gap in the district’s budget between what we receive from other funding sources and what we need to raise to maintain our excellent programs is $2,140 per student.”
Closing that per-student funding gap will require broad and deep participation from our community – and Piedmont is stepping up, with close to $2.3 million raised this school year. That amount won’t get our school budgets to the finish line, but if Giving Campaign participation continues to grow at this pace, Piedmont will undoubtedly deserve the gold medal.
To participate in the Giving Campaign and help fund our students and schools, visit www.piedmontedfoundation.org/donate/
Photos courtesy of The Giving Campaign