Gift Checkbook - As most of you know, the band has historically made a semi-annual trip to perform at Disney World. Certain costs are picked up by general band funds and the remainder of the cost falls to the students themselves. In addition, there are other potential events / trips that could require student / family contributions. So, we offer the students a number of fundraising opportunities whereby they can earn money that is credited directly to their account, often enabling them to fully fund these types of activities.
With that as a backdrop, last week we launched the 2016 Bartlett High School Fine Arts Gift-checkbook. This collection of valuable Gift-checks from great local restaurants and merchants (effectively easy to use gift certificates with few, if any restrictions) is worth over $190 and sells for just $20. $10 (the entire net profit) from each Gift-Checkbook sold will go directly to each student’s travel account. In addition, students will have the opportunity to win one of several incentive prizes.
One Gift-Checkbook was sent home with each band member (if they weren’t present at Camp or didn't get one yet, have them check in with Mr. Hollaway in the coming days to get their packet). We included a sell sheet (with information about the Gift-Checkbooks and a sales log). While participation is ultimately voluntary, students raised more than $5,000 for their accounts with this initiative last year. So, we are encouraging the students to participate and each try to sell 2 or more books – first for direct benefit to their travel accounts, and second to generally get word out about these which will ultimately lift up the entire process.
We have launched this initiative early to give the students an opportunity to get out ahead of some of the other organizations that will soon be in the fall fundraising process (especially if they’re able to out in the next few days). The book provided is expected to serve as a sample to potential purchasers, with orders taken on the sell sheet provided (and paid for at time of order). The students can bring their sell sheets into Mr. Hollaway to collect the books requested for distribution. Note that the book provided to the students is an actual product and the students must return a sale sheet and the associated funds or the original book provided (if none are sold).