New Fund to bring in Challenge Day

The Cadillac Area Community Foundation and the Cadillac Area Public Schools (CAPS) have announced a collaboration to bring the Challenge Day Team to Cadillac Area Public Schools. The Foundation has established a pass-through fund to allow for tax deductible donations and have pledged to match $1.00 for every $2.00 donated to the newly established CAPS Challenge Day Fund, up to a total match of $6000 for $12,000 raised in the community. This partnership will allow CAPS teachers and staff to focus on working with the students, and the Foundation staff will focus on fundraising for Challenge Day.

So....what does this mean?

It means that the community has a deep concern about the bullying taking place in our local schools, and we are going to do something about it! Challenge Day is a highly successful anti-bullying program that will be presented in our schools, (http://www.challengeday.org/). The Challenge Day program reduces teasing, stereotyping, social oppression, and bullying. The program teaches students peaceful conflict resolution and enhances their skills for healthy emotional expression. The program strives to increase the students’ self-esteem, sense of purpose, integrity, and develop empathy for others. Using the skills they are taught the students will have the ability to turn their schools into a community campus. In studies conducted after Challenge Day, students report that they: are more accepting of fellow students, see students tease each other less, feel less lonely at school, ask others for feedback more readily, and are comfortable being leaders.

The program will cost close to $30,000! The Foundation has already received $500 in donations as of today. When you add the matching $250 you can see that the Fund already has a $750 start. The hope is to raise at least $18,000.

For further information about this Fund, please contact the Foundation at 231-775-991.

Please help us make a positive impact on our local students. To make a donation to this Fund please send your check to the Cadillac Area Community Foundation, 201 N. Mitchell Street, Suite 101, Cadillac, Michigan. The check should be made out to the Cadillac Area Community Foundation, and please write “Challenge Day” in the memo portion of your check.