Let the Countdown Begin!

Invitations to the big night (April 5th at the Masonic Temple) will be in the mail on Friday and hopefully in your mailboxes by Saturday. We are sending invites to over 600 families. Please let us know if you do not receive yours by next week.

And, if you know someone who would like to join us, but doesn't receive an invite--let us know and we'll send one . . . or extend an invitation to them yourself. You are our best ambassadors!

A few weeks back, you received an email listing all of the tasks assigned per class for Extravaganza. Next year, you will be 'promoted' to the next class and the next task. Some classes have a little more involvement, some a little less. So overall, the work is shared by everyone to make this fundraiser successful.

As a little reminder, here are the areas assigned per class:

Preschool . Finance Room Runners (on event night)
Kindergarten . Kitchen Helpers (on event night)
Grade 1 . Tear-Down (on day after event night)
Grade 2 . Silent Auction
Grade 3 . Tear-Down (on day after event night)

Grade 4 . Decorations
Grade 5 . Live Auction

Grade 6 . 'Grow the Green' Raffle

Grade 7 . Live Auction

Grade 8 . Ladies Luncheon

Grade 9 . 50/50 Raffle (on event night)

Grade 10 . Table Sponsorship

Grade 11 . 'Grow the Green' Raffle

Grade 12 . Silent Auction

(if you can offer any help to your class in their assigned tasks, please contact your class rep)

Have you donated items for your student(s)' class baskets? If you haven't--and you may have misplaced the theme--here is the complete list. Items are due at Aquin by Friday, March 14 so the committee can put your donations together and make them look fabulous!

Preschool . Play-Doh Fun
Kindergarten . Ice Cream Social
Grade 1 . Cupcake Gift Basket
Grade 2 . Surf City
Grade 3 . For the Sports Lover
Grade 4 . Sewing and Crocheting Basket
Grade 5 . Crazy for a Keurig

Grade 6 . Fun in the Kitchen

Grade 7 . Smores Anyone?

Grade 8 . For the Birds

Grade 9 . Say Cheese

Grade 10 . Go Aquin!

Grade 11 . Taco Night

Grade 12 . Laundry 101

(if you have any questions regarding a basket, please contact your class rep or contact a member of the Silent Auction committee--Deb Fontana, Kara Carlisle or Heidi Koester)

Andrea Ege, 4th grade class rep, is heading up the decorating for the big night. She has requested some items that can be 're-purposed' to help create the mood of a simple evening on the shore. If you can, please send in:

• clear wine bottles with the corks
• clear glass jars--jelly jars, pickle jars, sauce jars, etc.
  

As you know, if we sell 2800 tickets at $25 each, one lucky winner will take home $30,000! But--we have to sell that many to give away that much. We will also be awarding a 2nd place prize of $3000 and a 3rd place prize of $2000--no matter what level we are at for the grand prize.

The 6th grade and 11th grade classes are in charge of ticket sales. But we need everyone to help with this area. Every Aquin student was given 5 tickets to sell. If each student sells those 5, we will be at 1500 tickets sold and be at the 2nd level of the cash prize--$15,000.

Please get creative and share your ideas on how to get these ticket sales rolling.

• send letters to alumni
• sell after Masses
• set-up online account at Crowdrise (we have raised over $9000 there since October)
• 'invest' in tickets and use your winnings to pay for college for your student(s)
• enjoy the warm 40 degree weather this weekend and walk through your neighborhood and sell tickets.

Somebody's going to win $10,000--and maybe that $10,000 will grow to $30,000. But we have to get busy now. We have 1 month left!

The Luncheon is tomorrow and the proceeds (donations) from that event go toward Live and Silent Auction packages. Hopefully quite a few 'Grow the Green' raffle tickets will be sold as well, in hopes of winning our 2nd Early Bird 'Friday Freebies'!

Thank you to all who have helped organize this fun event.

Dawn Carlson and Jess Stykel have been working hard on the Live Auction packages and hope to gain a few more tomorrow at the Ladies' Luncheon. Soon we will be releasing some of the great packages they have arranged--or have had donated--so you can start making your purchase plans. There are many new packages that you won't want to miss!

In case you have forgotten who to contact as your class rep, here is the updated list. 10th Grade is still open if anyone is willing!
Preschool . Emily Mullarkey
Kindergarten . Kim Beggin
Grade 1 . Micaela Woker
Grade 2 . Kara Carlisle
Grade 3 . Melissa Buss
Grade 4 . Andrea Ege
Grade 5 . Jess Stykel

Grade 6 . Kara Carlisle

Grade 7 . Teresa Whalen

Grade 8 . Dawn Carlson

Grade 9 . Karleen Budenz

Grade 10 . OPEN

Grade 11 . Darcy Brunner

Grade 12 . Deb Fontana

(thanks to all of these ladies for stepping up and helping out!)

For those of you who are new to Aquin, and as a refresher for others, Extravaganza is the ‘big’ annual fundraiser held at Aquin each year. This is the 17th year for the event which features a silent auction, a live auction, and raffles mixed throughout an evening of fine dining and dancing. The event is held at the Masonic Temple and takes a lot of planning and preparation by a crew of willing and able volunteers to be successful each year.

This event helps close the gap between the expenses and the revenues at Aquin.

♦ REVENUES

1. Catholic parish contributions (amount set by diocese)
2. Tuition
3. 3rd source income (fundraising--Extravaganza, Adesse, donations, etc.)

♦ EXPENSES

1. Instructional/Student Services
2. Salaries
3. School Facilities

The major reason for fundraising at Aquin is to keep tuition low while still meeting the revenue need. Tuition does NOT cover the cost per child. A decrease in one area of 'Revenue' causes an increased need in another. Please help us keep the balance as it is.