2010-11 YFPE Annual Report - York County Schools

Fundraising CampaignsThe YFPE, Inc. benefits from a number of different fundraising campaigns conducted annually in our local area:• YCSD employees may designate gifts through the annual United Way Campaign.• York County residents employed by the federal government or military can designate gifts through the Combined FederalCampaign. United Way Combined Federal Campaign #50416• Any Virginia resident receiving a state tax refund may make a contribution through the Virginia Voluntary Contribution Checkoffon individual state tax returns.Campaign Kick-off!YFPE, Inc.’s “Fund for Excellence” Supports Local SchoolsPublished in the Yorktown Crier November 12, 2010The York Foundation for Public Education, Inc. has announcedthe “Fund for Excellence” campaign to support the joy of teachingand learning in the York County School Division with a minimumgoal of $750,000. The initial goal for the campaign was$340,000, which was met with gifts from seven lead donors.Steve Staples, Ed.D, Campaign Co-Chair and former superintendent,stated, “Due to the tremendous enthusiasm of the communityand the deep dedication to public education, the CampaignCommittee decided to significantly raise the goal. We areexcited about what these funds will do for our children.”The campaign was recently announced at an event at the homeof Kelly and Bobby Ashe, Jr., where more than eighty-five peoplegathered to hear more about the work of the foundation andcelebrate those who have made lead gifts to the campaign.The event at the Ashe’s was led by Jim Noel, Campaign Co-Chair and YFPE, Inc. President, who spoke about the work of thefoundation which has been to provide grants in several areas,including Innovative Teaching Grants, School Wide ImprovementGrants, Scholarships for division employees and StudentResource Development Grants. He stated, “This campaign willtake the foundation to an entirely new level by endowing eachof the grant categories. School foundations across the countryare beginning to develop this model of endowment buildingand we are proud to be among the leaders in this area.”Lead contributions include John and Tricia Biagas of Bay ElectricCo., Inc., who have committed $100,000 to launch the Bay ElectricTechnology Initiative. Eric Williams, Ed.D., Superintendent,stated, “This is one area of the campaign that is especially importantto the school division. The Bay Electric Technology fundwill provide $1,000 annually to each school to purchase technologyitems that are particularly needed by that school. This annualgift will continue for five years and will challenge each schoolto raise the same amount annually to be placed in a technologyendowment fund. We are particularly pleased that the PTAs arepartnering with us to raise the matching funds.” To date, thirteenof the nineteen schools have offered their support; others areconsidering it at upcoming meetings.Annual Report 2010-2011Additional lead gifts have been received from Kelly and BobbyAshe, Jr., endowing a school wide grant named “Don’t Trip OverYour Shoelaces”; Dan and Peggy Nieman of Wendy’s Restaurantsare supporting the Student Resource Development Grants; theHead Family, who are endowing the “Savannah Head MemorialInnovative Grant of Reading Excellence,” in memory of SavannahHead; Dr. Eric and Michelle Williams, who are supportingthe operations of the foundation; Kathy and Mike Melo of ITA Internationalwho are endowing the “ITA International InnovativeGrant of Multi-Disciplinary Instruction; ” Nigel Buttery of PlanITTechnology Group who has made an unrestricted gift; Jeff Wassmerof Spectrum Comm, Inc., who is endowing a Teacher andPara-Professional Scholarship and; TowneBank, who is endowingthe Teacher of the Year program for the York County SchoolDivision.The focus of the campaign is to take each of the areas in whichgrants have been given and endow them so that only the interestwill be used. This will allow grants and scholarships to begiven forever. “We have relied on a very successful golf tournamentto fund our annual grants,” said Peggy Myatt, FoundationLiaison, “but we were always concerned that bad weather wouldnot allow us to give the grants our teachers and students deserve.This campaign will alleviate that concern.”“The School Board is very pleased to endorse this campaign,”said Mark Medford, Chair. The committee has developed manyways for the entire community to get involved with this campaignand show their support for our schools.Kelly and BobbyAshe, Jr. are activefoundation membersand hosted theCampaign Kick-offevent at their home.17