The Forest Park D91 PTO marked its most successful year fundraising for the local community and D91 schools.
It raised $21,000, a roughly 45% increase from the $14,400 it raised the year before.
“This was a really successful year and we hope the trend continues for next year,” said Rachelle Ernst, president of the PTO.
She said a part of the increase in support could be a result of the merger of the two district PTOs, which occurred a few years ago.
“Since then, we have combined into one organization that serves all of our schools,” Ernst said. “And through the fundraising of the community as the whole, I think that has greatly contributed to our success.”
The PTO held a scholastic book fair, dine-out days, butter braid sales, as well as a Double Good fundraiser. A popcorn sale through that company raised $12,000 alone – a record for the group. The PTO received half of the funds.
“That is a lot of popcorn to sell,” Ernst said.
The funds have been spent on supporting supplemental materials and activities such as birthday books for celebrating birthday kids at Betsy Ross Elementary, Garfield Primary Elementary and Field-Stevenson Elementary School; reading specialist materials at Forest Park Middle School; fifth-grade field-day shirts; student athlete hoodies; rewards closet restocks; and the FPMS sports banquet food, drinks and decorations.
Part of the money also pays for events, including the Betsy Ross ice cream social, color fun run, field game night, field multi-cultural night, staff appreciation week, and the end-of-the-year volunteer party.
The PTO also spread support to other community organizations, including the Park District of Forest Park’s Fall Fest Vendor, Truck or Treat Candy, Holiday Lights on Beloit Avenue, Kiwanis Canned Food Drive participation, and the Brushes on the Bridge mural.
“We really want to be not only facing our D91 families, but also have a strong presence in the Forest Park community as well,” Ernst said.
“We are such a small community and such a small district that I think it’s important for people who might not know what we represent, it puts us on the map a little bit,” said Danielle Sobotka, vice president of the PTO.
“They get to see the positive things that come out of the school district … it is a really good way for the community to get involved and support the kids who live in their neighborhoods.”