Welcome to Run for FUNds!
Learners, educators, parents, and friends of the San Carlos Charter Learning Center will run 140 miles from San Carlos to Sacramento to raise critically-needed funds and draw attention to the catastrophic state of funding for public education in California. The relay run, called the Run for FUNds, begins May 16. It culminates with a rally at the state capitol building on May 18, the day before the statewide vote on Propositions 1A, 1B and 1C. The Run for FUNds was conceived by the school’s educators. We believe that the San Carlos Charter Learning Center, the state’s founding public charter school and one of America’s longest-serving, has a mission to literally lead a charge through the streets to bring this message to California lawmakers.
The Run for FUNds is also the largest-ever fundraiser in the school’s 15-year history. It seeks to raise $100,000 to save Spanish classes and library programs being cut due to the funding crisis, and to ensure school can open for classes this fall. Fiscally conservative, SCCLC normally operates with healthy reserves. However, the funding reductions have decimated the budget, threatening our unique project-based programs and our mission of developing students as considerate, thoughtful, ethical, and engaged citizens. Please support this important project!
Recent News / Blog
"Bulldog" Winners for the Week Ending May 10th
Posted by Sonya Sigler
This has been an amazing week as we come into the home stretch for the actual Relay to Sacramento. We will launch our Run for FUNds at noon from the stage at Hometown Days. The spirit sticks are made; more signs are being made this Wednesday after school, and the drummers are practicing for our Hometown Days Parade entry! We have raised over $70,000 and have received really great support from the PTA CC too; They distributed our flyer (more copies in the the office if you want to hang them around town or distribute them) to all of the PTA reps at each of the schools to help raise awareness of the public school funding problems and ours. Senoras Gonzalez and Carvajal were interviewed and made it on the 6 pm news on Channel 14 last Saturday. Chris Mahoney was interviewed last week and that aired on KFOX at 6 am on Sunday morning (who got the better deal?).
Learner Pledge Sheet
Posted by Chris Mahoney
The attached pledge sheet is what we handed out to learners at our assembly in march that kicked off our Run for FUNds effort. If you have lost it or need another one, please use the attached form. We recommend learners ask for flat donation amounts rather than a pledge amount - as it is quicker and easier to ask for a donation once.
"Bulldog" Winners for the Week Ending May 3
Posted by Sonya Sigler
We quickly whizzed past $50,000 last week and have almost reached $60,000 in donations. A bit of exciting news -- We think we will have press coverage for part of the Relay to Sacramento and the Rally on the steps of the Capitol on May 18th - Stay tuned for more info on that. ***The runners list was sent out to assigned runners, so if you were not notified, please send me a quick note and I'll see what's going on. We had a "Runners' Day" at Road Runner Sports in San Carlos and we are thinking of doing another one next weekend - so please stay tuned for more info on that. Also, if you are a runner or walker in the race, you can receive a free monthly membership (for May) to the San Mateo Family YMCA. Contact Karen Venturi for more information. Now on to the very important news...
Road Runner Sponsorship
Posted by Chris Mahoney
Road Runner Sports is sponsoring Run for FUNds and is giving a 10% discount to all CLC affiliated families and friends. This Saturday, May 2nd, if you mention "RUN for FUNds" or SCCLC, anything you buy at Road Runner Sports will be given with the 10% discount! Half of that discount will come back to CLC as a donation. If you are an "MVP" with Road Runner Sports, you will be given an additional 5% discount. In addition to Road Runner's willingness to help us this Saturday, they will be donating reflective vests for our "overnight" runners on the weekend of the relay to Sacramento. Road Runner Sports is open Saturday May 2nd from 9 am - 6 pm -- Come on down to Road Runner Sports on Industrial Road and buy your athletic apparel at a 10% discount! Don't forget to mention "Run for FUNds" and help CLC raise $100,000 in 100 days!
"Bulldog" Winners for the Week Ending April 26th
Posted by Sonya Sigler
Wow, what a week! We have almost broken the halfway mark of $50,000 in donations from around the country. Hopefully everyone had fun on our school spirit day last Wednesday and that you learned, if you didn't know already, that our school colors are forest green and navy. On another note, we have an amazing challenge grant going on - if we reach our $100,000 mark in 100 days (by June 30th), we will receive an additional $630,000 for use in educator retention, professional development, and technology (but not for our general budget). If you aren't running or walking in the relay but you want to help raise money see the instructions at the bottom of this blog entry for more details. Now on to the news you have been waiting for...
"Bulldog" Winners for the Week of 4/19
Posted by Sonya Sigler
Colleen & Kim had the coveted "Bulldog" in their K/1 classroom last week. A few updates: We will have a professional photographer/videographer on campus this week to film our learners and gather testimonials on why CLC is so fantastic! (Don't worry, nothing will be used publicly without parents' permission). We have the honor of being on the radio this week - Senora Irene will be interviewed on 4/23 at 9:00 am for the Hecho en California show on KIQI San Francisco/KAHD Sacramento in Spanish - please tune in if you can!
Challenge Grant
Posted by Chris Mahoney
We have received an anonymous challenge grant for our $100,000 in 100 Days Campaign. If we can raise $100,000 by June 30, 2009, then CLC will be “gifted” an additional $630,000. The money will be gifted to CLC by the Silicon Valley Foundation. Over the last several years, we have been able to apply for grants through this foundation. The Foundation has been eager to step away from direct oversight in order to pursue other projects. This gift will focus on allowing us to support and nurture our most valuable resource, our educators. In accordance with the wishes of the foundation, we will be using this money to support staff professional development, educator retention initiatives, and technology. These monies cannot be used in our general fund.
Offline Donations
Posted by Sonya Sigler
We have a had a few questions about offline donations - which is any donation made to SCCLCFA that does not come through the Run for FUNds website. The run for FUNds website does have a credit card/processing fee associated with it and to avoid paying this fee, we encourage checks to be mailed in or dropped off at the school. We can easily track these offline donations on the Run for FUNds website to maintain an accurate fundraising total. We can enter them in as anonymous or we can attribute them to the specific donor. If a team or individual is listed on the memo line of a check or with a note accompanying cash, we will attribute it to that team or individual. If no team is listed, we will do our best to see if the donor is associated with a learner, team, or educator. If we cannot figure out who the donor is related to or a friend of, we will attribute it to a team in a round robin fashion. We are doing that with the the recycling money - which you can see under the name Oscar G (for Oscar the Grouch). If you know someone is sending in a check for your team, please let Chris or Sonya know and we can make sure to credit it to the right team or individual! I appreciate all of the hard work everyone is doing to raise this money - we have cracked $40,000 this week!
First to Worst Screening
Posted by Sonya Sigler
The PTA Council of Cupertino-Fremont-Sunnyvale presents: First to Worst - California Public Schools
Do you ever wonder why your kid has to run around the track 30 times so that he can get an education? Do you know why you have to bake 5 pounds of brownies every year just to keep music in the school curriculum? Did you know that California ranks at the bottom of the nation in per-pupil spending? Come to this elucidating event about the state of California public school funding and how it got there.
Save the Dates for Run for FUNds
Posted by Sonya Sigler
April 22 - San Carlos Run for FUNds Community Day - we can wear our race T-Shirts and hand out flyers around town, all PE activities this day will be focused on training and support laps
May 5th - Measure B - San Carlos Parcel Tax - vote must be received (not just postmarked) at the election office
May 7th - Hot Harvest Nights (hand out flyers)
May 14th - Hot Harvest Nights (hand out flyers)
May 16-18 - Run for FUNds Relay from San Carlos to Sacramento
May 16th - Relay begins around noon near the dunk tank at Hometown Days
May 18th - CLC School-wide Service Learning Day in Sacramento -- join the race for the last mile to end up on the state capital steps for a rally; if you can't make it to Sacramento there will be a CLC Field Day on Campus hosted by Inga, Emma, and Lale.
RECENT UPDATES
Congratulations to all the runners and supporters!!!!!
Sacramento has received your message!
See RECENT RUN PHOTOS
Live Twitter Updates
Learner Testimonials
Our Social Networks
Donation Shout Outs
Colleen, thank you for all that you do for our children!
Stacy, go kick some Sacramento butt!
With Team Karrie and Twins, everyone wins!
Yay for Marianne! Anika is cheering for you.
Good luck on the run! Maya loves Spanish class!