FFE 2023 - Year in Review

The FFE is thrilled to announce that, this past spring, we passed the milestone of giving back over $1 million since our inception in 1991. These funds have supported hundreds of teachers and thousands of students for the past 32 years.

In 2023, the Foundation for Excellence provided $60,000 in grants to 85 classrooms across the district. These funds provided over $35,000 in new literacy materials, $8,800 in STEM tools, nearly $5,000 in musical instruments, and $3,300 in physical education equipment.

Beyond the grant program, the FFE also provided $3,500 in Performing Arts Scholarships through Shuman Family Performing Arts Grants, $2,500 for our Adult Transition Special Education Program, and $1,700 for 5th grade camp scholarships.

We could not have supported so many classrooms across the district without the generous support of Phyllis Wagner, a former Dublin school teacher. Phyllis provided funds for our grant program in honor of her late husband, Robert, who worked as a custodian at Walled Lake Western High School. The Wagners spent their lives dedicated to the Walled Lake District and Phyllis continues to show how much WLCSD meant to them through donations to the FFE.

Barb Garbutt is a former Walled Lake Schools teacher and director of the Outdoor Education Center. She has donated funds to the FFE for our grant program and also to help support the new stage structure that will be breaking ground soon at the OEC. Barb is truly a legacy in this district and we are honored that she remembers us in her charitable giving.

As an avid supporter of literacy in the classroom Lori Burke, a former WLCSD teacher, has continued to support the expansion of classroom libraries throughout the district. It is her mission to help newer teachers establish a stronger literacy library in their classroom and give students the opportunity to read books based on a variety of themes. We are so thrilled to have Lori's support in bringing more books to students around Walled Lake.

We have a number of business sponsors who support us in various ways throughout the year. Some donate directly to our Grant program, some support our Kindergarten Welcome Kits, and many sponsor our annual Golf Scramble. Below are sponsors who provided more than $2,500 in support this past year.

In 2023, our Tuition Expedition Raffle had to revert back to in-person only sales after the pandemic online sales were discontinued. We were concerned that this might cause a bit of a stumble but we are thrilled to say our Grand Prize Winner, Lurlease Tucker, still won over $10,000. These funds are sitting in our account waiting for her to let us know she's ready for them. (Did you know we will hold your scholarship winnings for up to 20 years so you don't have to take them until your child is heading off to college? Then we write the check directly to the university so there is no tax burden for you!)
We were thrilled that our second prize of $1,000 went to second grade teacher, Julie Stout!

Sales for the 2024 50/50 Tuition Expedition Raffle are kicking off on Black Friday at the Walled Lake Schools Federal Credit Union.

A new addition to this year's raffle is that the person who sells the winning ticket will also receive $100 as a thank you. If you are interested in helping to sell tickets, please contact Jackie Gurwin at JackieGurwin@wlcsd.org

On June 19th, we hosted our 14th annual golf scramble at Edgewood Country Club. We had a picture perfect day with a course full of supporters of the FFE. Demand to attend this great event continues to increase and for the first time, we had a wait list of people who wanted to join our outing! Every golfer and every business that sponsors our scramble helps provide more tools for classrooms across the Walled Lake District. In addition to a great day of golf, there were many fabulous raffle baskets to bid on during the dinner reception donated by PTAs and many local businesses. We are so humbled by the support we receive from our community.

The 2024 Golf Scramble will be taking place on June 17th and registration will begin in December. If you'd like to reach out before that, please contact Jackie Gurwin at jackiegurwin@wlcsd.org

On September 12th, we were able to mingle with our former WLCSD staff at the Retiree Reception hosted by Michelle Tomei. Michelle sponsors the Retiree Reception each year as a way to give back to the Walled Lake staff that took a chance on her and helped kick off her financial planning career. As a member of the South Lyon Educational Foundation, Michelle makes sure to include us in the reception as she understands the benefits educational foundations bring to the community.
This year's highlight was giving the former staff a chance to meet our new Superintendent, Dr. John Bernia, and hear about his vision for the future of our district.

We are truly indebted to Kevin for his support as the FFE treasurer for the past few years. Kevin has been a trustee on the FFE board for over 10 years and has helped raise funds that have impacted teachers and students alike. We are sorry to see him go, but are so honored to have had him part of our team. Kevin is a CPA who just launched his own business and we wish him the best of luck. Thank you, Kevin!

Kevin's treasurer role will be split into two positions filled by Susie Crafton and Brian Alpert.

Each year many staff members elect to donate a dollar or more to the FFE each pay period through automatic payroll deduction. This past year an additional 50 WLCSD employees signed up to support the Foundation For Excellence through the Count on Me Program. This equates to nearly $2,500 in extra funds for the FFE!

The Foundation introduced a new fundraiser this year which provides "Class of" yard signs, "Grow With Me" shirts, and school specific information for incoming Kindergartners. What a great way to get our youngest learners excited about starting school! Kits are available for our new Kindergarten students and our Junior Kindergarten students with the appropriate "Class of 2037" and "Class of 2038" logo.

Watch for ordering information this spring!

There are a number of ways to support the Foundation for Excellence and we hope that you will take advantage of at least one of them.

• Join us for our Golf Scramble on June 17, 2024 at Edgewood Country Club
• Buy a Tuition Expedition Raffle ticket and get your own chance to win BIG
• Make an easy donation to the FFE through our website (www.wlcsd.org/ffe)
• Choose the Foundation For Excellence as your charity of choice for Kroger Community Rewards
• We also have a Venmo account now so you can make easy donations through Venmo (@WLCSDFFE)