Holy Trinity Academy

Alea goes to Holy Trinity Academy in Trinidad - started kindergarten in Sept. even though she wasn't 5 till January. Parents (and willing family) need to put in 35 hours of volunteer time every year, so Tomy & I agreed to "host" the Valentine dance & concession stand, after running the concession stand at the Cad Creations shop grand opening (owned by another class mom). The dance is over - can we all say NIGHTMARE? Tomy & I each  put in a 13 hr day but that was the BEST of it. The food stand at the store opening made only $124, we sold about 10 funnel cakes, 10 wax-dipped roses, & lots of soda. They gave away hot dogs hoping people would buy drinks & desserts - people came & gobbled up 120 weiners (2 & 3 each sometimes), some guy even came & took some for his dog and these were NOT hungry homeless people either. Then we went to the gym for the dance. Nobody had time to do much decorating (there was an away basketball game that night also) so Tomy & I had to do it, then set up the food. Three high school girls arrived at 6:00 & helped finish the balloons & filled the soda coolers. Tom made 3 chocolate cheesecakes & not even ONE piece sold. We sold 30 advance tickets and only 20 people showed up because there was no booze. The wife of the band leader had insisted we hold the dance after the school staff wanted to cancel due to lack of prep time and they caved in to her demands. She & the band showed up at 7:30 (dance started at 8:00) & she proceeded to throw out all of our help, including the school girls, demanding they pay for tickets or leave. Several calls were made to Andrea (in charge but at the basketball game 2 hrs away), but the damage was done.  It started snowing around 9:00, everybody was gone by 10:30 because the band quit & started packing up. The school lost money on the whole mess. Andrea arrived as the band was packing up, she & her family stayed to help us clean up & she kept apologizing the whole time. On the way home I told Tom that I had 2 choices: throw up my hands & walk away from the whole school OR take over as fundraiser chairman (they were looking for one) & help fix it. Well, guess what stupid me did? Alea has 12 more years in the school & they don't get ANY government money so they need all the outside help they can get, plus Tomy won't walk away SO ...... I volunteered. I am now swamped with paperwork -  need liquor & gaming licenses for dinners & raffles, finish events scheduled for the rest of THIS year, & start planning some MAJOR events for next year, plus I have dental surgery scheduled for March 9th (the 1st of several). It means  meetings every week plus trying to get all the parents involved. I've written up a letter of introduction & intent, and a questionnaire for ALL parents & students, hoping to find everybody's strengths & call on individuals for specific jobs rather than a general appeal in the weekly newsletter. We have some exciting new ideas for new events, including a Mixed Martial Arts Expo, a Battle of the Bands, a Mardi Gras Masquerade, & a Mystery Dinner Theatre. In the meantime, the school is now holding the annual Lenten Fish Fry dinners every Friday. Tomy & I worked this past one as the regular crew was at another basketball game - our girls' team made the regionals! If they win Tuesday night Tomy & I will be on Fish Fry duty again next Friday, too.
I haven't had any stitching time in the past 2 weeks, barely keeping up with my email. I started my 1st HAED (Heaven and Earth Designs) project - will post pictures as soon as I finish page 1 (of 24). If anyone has any dynamite ideas for a fundraiser please share and all prayers are welcome!