Updates Galore!

Hey Everyone!


I wanted to get a few updates out to you... hold on tight - this information is important and there is a LOT of it!

Local Service Project

As you already know (given the dates I listed on the last parent's letter) this Wednesday is an ALL TEAM local Service project. We will meet at the church at 10 AM before we go serve locally (some of this will be team building, some will be serving a local widow and other parts will be preparing for the Pancake Breakfast).

Students will need to wear work clothes, bring money for lunch (we will order pizza) and plan to be busy until at least 2 PM.

Also, as I mentioned in the letter "students with REGULAR/FULL TIME work schedules during the day will be allowed to miss – part time workers will need to request off" If this applies to you (for example you lifeguard FULL TIME at the pool), please let me know.

Pancake Breakfast

Next Sunday (June 15) is the Pancake breakfast fundraiser! We have been working to organize all of the details to make this happen. As has been the case in the past, Randy Shirkey has generously volunteered to handle the kitchen volunteers (food preparation, serving, etc) - make sure to thank Randy - he has been very busy lately and doesn't even have a kid in youth group! Some incredibly cool parents have volunteered to handle heading up the serving area and the seating/dining room area. There are a number of needs that we will need to have handled before Sunday AM:

• ~ We will need about 15 parents to volunteer to make a large fruit salad. If you are able to do that, please email me so that I don't have to start at the top of the list and make calls until I find 15 of you who are willing... that will be a BIG help to me!
• ~ We will need a handful of students and parents to volunteer to clean and cut fresh strawberries on Saturday, June 14. Again, please email me if this could be you!
• ~ Finally, we will need about 10 (or s0) pancake griddles for us to use on the morning of the breakfast. If you have one that we can borrow, please email me (do you sense a trend?)

Airfare/Cost Update


We sent the final check out this week for the airfare to Honduras. As many of you have asked, Delta's announcement of increased fuel service charges did (significantly) affect our cost! When we set up the trip (and advertised the cost), the service charge was projected at $179/ticket - I anticipated an increase and set the cost to students (for the service charge) at $200.

Well, we sent the check today with a fuel service charge of $359.30 (that is more than $4000 more than we had anticipated). Now, I know exactly what you are thinking... don't worry - we aren't raising the student's price for the trip.

As you already know, the church has pledged $150/student toward each student (anticipating 10-12 students... getting 28... I never anticipated this kind of interest) and will now shoulder the $4000+ involved in this service charge. we are solidly committed to providing an excellent experience for our students!

Extra Money?

I get this question allot: "What if we raise extra money. What should I do with it?" The answer is pretty simple. Please model honesty and integrity for you student and honor the desire of the people who donated toward the trip. We have an extraordinary burden given fuel costs and also have a couple of students who are struggling to raise the money. Please turn in all of the money that you raise - these funds will help to off-set other students who are struggling to raise their funds as well as the increasing difference between what students pay and what this trip will cost.

Well - there are a ton more things that are brewing, but lets get past the breakfast before we start working on those!!!

Thanks, everyone!!!

Jeremy