The SBL Schools Foundation is delighted to announce that its 2023 Big Bash and Big Give fundraising efforts have resulted in more than $60,000 that will directly support student scholarships and teacher grants in the SBL Community School District.
“Each year we are so grateful for all the ways the Sergeant Bluff and Luton communities step forward to support the work of the SBL Schools Foundation,” said Andrea Johnson, president of the SBL Schools Foundation. “We are a strictly volunteer-run board and these events are incredibly important to helping us continue our work while growing the Foundation.”
Big Bash is the central fundraising event for the Foundation and was held on Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Sergeant Bluff Community Center. The event netted around $50,000 that will be put directly toward scholarships and teacher grants. State Steel served as the presenting sponsor for the event. I-29 Custom Truck Parts served as entertainment sponsor and Pub 52 was the after-party sponsor. Gold sponsors were Aggie’s, Baird: The Holzrichter Morrison Group, Clear Path Financial, Echo Electric, and CW Suter. There were also a number of businesses who provided funds through other sponsorship levels, cash donations, and auction items. Additionally, Tim Kosmicki provided auctioneering services for the live auction.
“A small Foundation like ours doesn’t run without support from local businesses. I strongly encourage all those who are part of the SBL community to take note of the many local businesses that provided gifts to the SBL Schools Foundation and give them both your thanks and your business. They make so much possible in our community,” shared Johnson.
The SBL Schools Foundation also participated in the Siouxland Community Foundation’s Big Give event on Tuesday, Oct. 3. The event is designed to spotlight nonprofits throughout the region by creating a concentrated day of giving. As an affiliate of the Siouxland Community Foundation, the SB-L Community School Foundation uses the opportunity as one more way to raise awareness and funds. This year, the SBL Schools Foundation set a new fundraising record for itself during Big Give by amassing more than $12,000 in donations from 75 donors, placing them first in number of donations and second in total dollars raised during the event.
“Our volunteer-run Foundation has managed to be one of the top 10 fundraising groups for the last four years,” said Erin Edlund, an SB-L board member who has helped spearhead the Big Give effort. “The awareness that the event generates and the ability for donors to give online provides us with an opportunity that we otherwise wouldn’t have on our own. We are very appreciative of all the work the Siouxland Community Foundation does to host the event and empower nonprofits like ours to expand our reach. We are also incredibly grateful to the many sponsors who provide radio spots, advertising, and other support for the event.”
A key to the success the SBL Schools Foundation had this year during Big Give were matching donations contributed by Pioneer Auto, Pioneer Bank and Pioneer Insurance, Dr. Garry and Carol Clark, and the families of Andrea and Wayne Johnson, Joanna and Jay Morrison, Shelley and Chad Ritz, and Lillyan and Carlos Rodriguez.
“The matching gifts we received set forth a great challenge for our community to provide the matching dollars to unlock those funds. Warrior Nation answered in a big way. We are incredibly grateful to the businesses and families that made Big Give such a success this year,” said Edlund.
While these fundraising events have certainly been important to helping the SBL Schools Foundation sustain its work of offering up to $20,000 in scholarships and teacher grants each year, the group also hopes that residents will consider the SBL Schools Foundation when making their long-term plans.
“Fundraising events are important, but there is also an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy,” said Angie Van Otterloo, treasurer for the Foundation. “Being an affiliate of the Siouxland Community Foundation means anyone that wants to make a gift to us is able to get all the tax advantages and benefits offered by the Siouxland Community Foundation. We can provide resources to answer questions or assist families who might be interested in setting up any kind of planned or estate giving. Those type of gifts have the potential to be transformative for our Foundation and to the lives of students for generations to come.”
Individuals interested in making a gift to the SBL Schools Foundation are encouraged to contact the Siouxland Community Foundation at 712-293-3303 or email office@siouxlandcommunityfoundation.org. You can also follow the Foundation on Facebook at facebook.com/SBLSchoolsFoundation.