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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BELLEVUE SCHOOLS FOUNDATION KICKS OFF PHONATHON TO RAISE $180,000 FROM PARENT COMMUNITY
Bank of America and AT&T Wireless Sponsor Phonathon to Cover Expenses
SEATTLE, Wash., Oct. 28, 2002 -- The Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF), a private, non-profit organization
serving 12,000 students across all Bellevue Schools, kicks off its 15th annual Phonathon. Through this effort,
BSF hopes to raise $180,000, or nearly 20 percent of its budget for this year, to finance programs benefiting
Bellevue Public Schools district wide.
All of the phone calls are made by parents, educators and students and are to other parents in the district.
More than 200 volunteers will be making calls over the next three nights, with the goal of calling more than
8,000 families in the Bellevue School District.
Bank of America and AT&T Wireless are the major sponsors, with corporate funding that helps cover Phonathon
expenses, so all funds raised can go straight to the BSF program budget. In addition, Rabanco Companies,
Bio Control Systems, Inc., and the Washington Society of CPAs are providing their office space and telephones
for the fundraiser.
"We are fortunate to live in a very giving community of parents and friends," said Sherry Ladd, executive director of BSF.
"This money allows us to continue our efforts to build on the work of the district, PTSAs and individual schools to
create excellence in education for Bellevue."
The BSF works closely with schools and the district to identify, select and fund existing and new programs
that benefit the schools. Its creation and funding of "Project Discovery", launched in 1999, placed science
kits in every classroom in every elementary school in the Bellevue District. Teachers have praised the
science program, which was funded by $660,000 in donations over three years, a large chunk of that from
The Boeing Company.
The BSF also provides funding for mentor programs for at-risk youths, arts immersion programs, student
learning and new teacher grants, teacher workshops, early childhood scholarships for low-income children
and other programs.
"The BSF uses funds to create equality and a level playing field for all schools in Bellevue and help fill
the gap between what the district gets from the state and what the schools need," explained Ladd.
While the city of Bellevue is typically known for its affluence, more than 16 percent of students in
the district live in poverty (defined as a household income of $32,653 for a family of four).
The BSF also announced today the recent election of its Board of Trustees' officers for the 2002-03 term, whom are:
- Sharon Linton, Meydenbauer Center, President
- Lew White, Northern Trust Bank, President Elect
- Dave Miniken, Sweeney Conrad, Treasurer
- Paul Bogel, Washington Mutual Bank, Vice President for Marketing
- Rod Johnson, Bank of America, Vice President for Resource Development
- Nikette Pujalet, Community Volunteer, Vice President for Programs
- Morgan West, Jr., Herley, Atkins & Stewart, Vice President for Grants
Beginning a 3-year term of office, there were also several new appointments to the BSF's 32-member Board of Trustees,
which includes educators, corporate executives and community volunteers. The new board members are:
- Steve Brown - Pacific Outdoor Marketing
- Barry Caldwell - The Boeing Company
- Jody Cunningham - Community Volunteer
- Ayele Dagne - Metropolitan King County
- Tina Davis - Equity Office
- Steven Lee - Community Volunteer
- Betty Nokes - President and CEO, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
- Todd Morton - Laird Norton Financial Group
- Maria Valdesuso - Community Volunteer
For more information or to provide a donation to the Bellevue Schools Foundation, please contact
the BSF at 425-456-4199 or email info@bsfdn.org.
About the Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF)
The Bellevue Schools Foundation is a powerful partnership between business and community leaders,
parents and members of the education community. BSF was founded in 1979 by a concerned group of
parents and community leaders, who wanted to ensure quality education for Bellevue's children
despite the economic challenges facing the school district. Its mission has remained consistent: to promote
and help fund the best possible learning opportunities for all students in Bellevue. Over its 21-year history,
the BSF has raised over $6.6 million for the schools and served over 12,000 students every year. For 2002-2003,
the BSF has projected a budget of $894,400, which will fund district-wide curriculum innovations, expanded
professional development, mentoring programs and a wide range of other programs that meet students' special
needs across the district's 28 schools.
As a private, non-profit organization, the BSF depends on individual and corporate donations and hundreds of
volunteers and part-time staff to fund its school programs. The BSF considers itself a partner of the Bellevue
School District, the Parent-Teacher associations and the school educators and administrators.
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Media Contact:
Margaret Dawson
The Silver Company (for Bellevue Schools Foundation)
Tel: 206-624-0388
Cel: 206-355-6872
margaret@thesilvercompany.com
or
Ann Grometstein
Bellevue Schools Foundation
Tel: 425-456-4199
ann@bsfdn.org
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Last updated Wednesday, March 17th, 2004.
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