City Charter rally set for Saturday
The City of Cape Coral Charter School Authority Rally returns for its fifth year this Saturday complete with music, food, rides, games and vendors at the German American Club of Cape Coral.
The 2018 Rally will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. at 2101 Pine Island Road S.W.
Entry to the fundraiser is free.
“It’s a great cost effective family day out,” Foundation Board Member Jen-Hope Belis said. “Every one of our board members have taken an active role on putting on the Rally. It’s a nice testament of people working together for the common good.”
The fifth annual Rally brings the four schools together, Christa McAuliffe Elementary School, Oasis Elementary School, Oasis Middle School and Oasis High School.
“It’s one big joint system wide fundraiser,” she explained.
The event was the brainchild of a former principal who was looking for ways to bring the schools together.
“We have the K through 12 school system at the Oasis campus and we’re really trying to get middle schoolers and high schoolers and elementary school kids to experience and interact with each other,” Belis said.
This year, the event will feature the middle school cheerleading team, newly selected for next year, as the emcee for the smaller of the two stages. The smaller stage will feature school-based performances from the elementary and middle school, as well as the Melody Lane Performing Arts Center.
The large stage will feature three bands – Thunderbear, Iconic and the Hip Nauticals.
The event will also feature food vendors, beer and a marketplace. The marketplace will showcase close to 30 vendors selling different products, such as jewelry, cosmetics and clothing.
Belis said some of the vendors in the past have donated money back to the school, earmarked for a specific club.
In addition there will be an area designated for the youth with rides, inflatables, rock walls and bungee jumping. She said they have an activity wristband for sale at www.capecoralcharterfoundation.org for $10. The cost increases to $20 the day of the event.
Due to the honorary event sponsor, the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation, the children will receive a free hot dog and bottle of water with their activity wristband.
“They can play for hours because the wristbands are unlimited and they have been fed,” she said. “The Gunterberg Foundation has been a great partner to the school system and event in ensuring that this is successful.”
For the first time this year, the rally includes an online auction, which is under way. All of the items can be bid on at www.capecharterfoundation.org . The auction include such items as vacation stays, an autographed football jersey and a night out on the town.
Belis said some of the teachers are also auctioning themselves off for the students to have an outing with their teacher. Some of the activities include attending an AR workshop and having ice cream at the park.
“The auction is open now and it closes the day of the rally at 7 p.m.,” she said.
Belis said the online auction has been fun.
“We are hoping it will bring in a good amount of money,” she said.
The rally has been a successful fundraiser for the schools, as well as a great event for the foundation to put together.
“The foundation is fairly small. We are the fundraising arm for the schools. (We are) working to serve all four schools. We are trying to involve the parents and get them involved at all levels,” she said. “The foundation consists mostly of the parents, some members of the board, that have kids who moved on, but they continue to stay involved. That is always our goal as well.”
The event, Belis said, is really an opportunity for the kids and parents to get involved.
“It’s been quite lovely to work on something for the school. To bring the community in and let them see,” she said of what the schools have to offer.
Belis said with the charter schools receiving less money that district schools they have to become creative in how to raise more funds.
“We are trying to help raise a little bit extra,” she said.
The money raised goes toward such programs as providing scholarships for seniors, the Lighthouse Awards and mini grants for teachers.
The mini grants, Belis said are given to teachers who are working on a special project where they need additional funds.
“We will earmark a portion for each of the schools,” Belis said of money requested for the school projects.
She said a large amount of the money will go towards technology, so there is a one-to-one ratio of Chrome books for the middle school students.
“As a foundation we have our eyes set on bigger improvements at the schools,” Belis said of such projects as a larger athletic field and programs, as well as a performance theater. “The foundation has their eye on the future and growth of our schools . . . financially and physically to be able to support the long term vision.”
City Charter rally set for Saturday
The City of Cape Coral Charter School Authority Rally returns for its fifth year this Saturday complete with music, food, rides, games and vendors at the German American Club of Cape Coral.
The 2018 Rally will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. at 2101 Pine Island Road S.W.
Entry to the fundraiser is free.
“It’s a great cost effective family day out,” Foundation Board Member Jen-Hope Belis said. “Every one of our board members have taken an active role on putting on the Rally. It’s a nice testament of people working together for the common good.”
The fifth annual Rally brings the four schools together, Christa McAuliffe Elementary School, Oasis Elementary School, Oasis Middle School and Oasis High School.
“It’s one big joint system wide fundraiser,” she explained.
The event was the brainchild of a former principal who was looking for ways to bring the schools together.
“We have the K through 12 school system at the Oasis campus and we’re really trying to get middle schoolers and high schoolers and elementary school kids to experience and interact with each other,” Belis said.
This year, the event will feature the middle school cheerleading team, newly selected for next year, as the emcee for the smaller of the two stages. The smaller stage will feature school-based performances from the elementary and middle school, as well as the Melody Lane Performing Arts Center.
The large stage will feature three bands – Thunderbear, Iconic and the Hip Nauticals.
The event will also feature food vendors, beer and a marketplace. The marketplace will showcase close to 30 vendors selling different products, such as jewelry, cosmetics and clothing.
Belis said some of the vendors in the past have donated money back to the school, earmarked for a specific club.
In addition there will be an area designated for the youth with rides, inflatables, rock walls and bungee jumping. She said they have an activity wristband for sale at www.capecoralcharterfoundation.org for $10. The cost increases to $20 the day of the event.
Due to the honorary event sponsor, the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation, the children will receive a free hot dog and bottle of water with their activity wristband.
“They can play for hours because the wristbands are unlimited and they have been fed,” she said. “The Gunterberg Foundation has been a great partner to the school system and event in ensuring that this is successful.”
For the first time this year, the rally includes an online auction, which is under way. All of the items can be bid on at www.capecharterfoundation.org . The auction include such items as vacation stays, an autographed football jersey and a night out on the town.
Belis said some of the teachers are also auctioning themselves off for the students to have an outing with their teacher. Some of the activities include attending an AR workshop and having ice cream at the park.
“The auction is open now and it closes the day of the rally at 7 p.m.,” she said.
Belis said the online auction has been fun.
“We are hoping it will bring in a good amount of money,” she said.
The rally has been a successful fundraiser for the schools, as well as a great event for the foundation to put together.
“The foundation is fairly small. We are the fundraising arm for the schools. (We are) working to serve all four schools. We are trying to involve the parents and get them involved at all levels,” she said. “The foundation consists mostly of the parents, some members of the board, that have kids who moved on, but they continue to stay involved. That is always our goal as well.”
The event, Belis said, is really an opportunity for the kids and parents to get involved.
“It’s been quite lovely to work on something for the school. To bring the community in and let them see,” she said of what the schools have to offer.
Belis said with the charter schools receiving less money that district schools they have to become creative in how to raise more funds.
“We are trying to help raise a little bit extra,” she said.
The money raised goes toward such programs as providing scholarships for seniors, the Lighthouse Awards and mini grants for teachers.
The mini grants, Belis said are given to teachers who are working on a special project where they need additional funds.
“We will earmark a portion for each of the schools,” Belis said of money requested for the school projects.
She said a large amount of the money will go towards technology, so there is a one-to-one ratio of Chrome books for the middle school students.
“As a foundation we have our eyes set on bigger improvements at the schools,” Belis said of such projects as a larger athletic field and programs, as well as a performance theater. “The foundation has their eye on the future and growth of our schools . . . financially and physically to be able to support the long term vision.”