GIPS Foundation pivots staff campaign to virtual environment, raises more funds in challenging times, Director Traci Skalberg does a cartwheel
The 13-minute video news release featured GIPS Staff Campaign Co-Chairs sharing the results of the campaign that was moved to a virtual platform this year as schools began teaching online.
This year’s campaign has been themed “I give HOPE. I give GIPS. We are Better, Stronger, TOGETHER.” The campaign included a $5,000 challenge gift from Orv Qualsett in memory of his wife Mary.
The Qualsett gift was used to encourage staff to give new or increased gifts to the campaign.
The campaign included several competitions to make it fun. The winners of these contests will also be announced.
The campaign ran from April 21 – May 15. Foundation Director Traci Skalberg said, “This year was an exercise in resiliency. The environment was so challenging, and yet, our educators showed up with their big hearts for students. They weren’t about to quit on students. It is really remarkable what happened here.” Skalberg called the campaign “a source of pride for Grand Island. This should not go unnoticed. It is just one of the many reasons that Grand Island is a great place for our kids.”
Last year (2019) staff and board members of Grand Island Public Schools and GIPS Foundation raised more than $94,000 for the benefit of school district students.
Proceeds from the campaign are used to expand Foundation programs such as the Academic Aristocrat Scholarship program and the Teacher of the Year program. The funds are also used to support Foundation operations and endowment and the Classroom Mini-Grant program. This year, some of the funds raised were added to the GIPS Foundation’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund.
