Quarterly Campaign Update August 2023 |
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GROUNDBREAKING CELEBRATION You read that title right! We are ready to break ground! Mobilization will begin at the end of September and we want to invite you to the Manitowoc Lutheran High School Campus to celebrate this exciting milestone that will remain part of MLHS's story long into the future. SAVE THE DATE to CELEBRATE! Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 5:30PM The celebration will begin promptly at 5:30PM, so be sure to come a little bit earlier to get parked and meet everyone on the east side of the school. At 6PM there will be a cookout reception for all to enjoy. That evening is also the night of our annual Homecoming bonfire. So, after the half-hour groundbreaking celebration, be sure to stick around and tour the student-decorated Homecoming themed hallways. If you like powderpuff football you may want to catch the action at 7:15PM on Lancer Field. Weather permitting the bonfire will take place at approximately 8PM. |
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Phase One Gym Addition The new gym has seating for approximately 1100 people. It can be set up as one main center court or two full sized cross courts. Therefore, when used in conjunction with our existing gym, three to five separate teams can practice simultaneously. The gym will allow for all volleyball teams to practice right after school and provide added indoor space for spring sports. On game days, this will also allow JV1 and JV2 to play at the same time, allowing other teams to still hold practice. We are also excited to share that the new gym will be air conditioned! The gym will also have a press box equipped for game live streaming and announcing. Phase One Stretch Goals If God wills it, and MLHS receives additional funding, new locker rooms and a Fitness Center will also be added. This could be a shelling out of these areas or if funding and donations allow, they could be fully finished and equipped. |
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How Did We Get to this Point? - God's Blessings in the Past Year Timeline Tidbits As we "rebooted" our campaign after the Covid pause, the Steering Committee felt we were facing three key issues: 1) a building plan that was not especially suitable for phasing, 2) cost overruns due to an increased project scope and significant changes in the cost of materials, and 3) fundraising that did not reach its goal due to several unforeseen setbacks. We commend those of you who were part of our successful Federation grassroots effort, however the area that fell short was the major gift pledges. While we had several very generous gifts, we did not achieve the number that was needed. |
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Timeline Beginning June 2022 to Present |
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- In June of 2022 Martin Plocher joined the Steering Committee as Campaign Director. He officially received a one-year call to be the Campaign Director in November of 2022 and started this call full-time on July 1, 2023.
- In July of 2022 the Federation approved Catalyst Ministry Solutions to assist us with re-emphasizing a major gift push for the end of our campaign.
- In November of 2022 the campaign project was broken down into phases with Phase One being the construction of the gym.
- Catalyst assisted MLHS on how to set up meetings and build relationships with a high-end donor base that included some current supporters as well as new potential supporters. Martin Plocher, our Campaign Director, has been meeting with these supporters, which has resulted so far in God blessing us with an additional $550,000 in commitments for our campaign and the possibility of several other large gifts that could yet come in. Please keep us in your prayers. This is an on-going process.
- In February we excitedly announced that finally! we acquired the small city parcel at the northeast corner of Waldo and N. Rapids Road. This parcel was a remnant from an old turn lane, and it is where we currently have our digital school sign. After years of working with the city we acquired the parcel for the nominal cost of $1.00.
- In April the MLHS Finance Committee and Kevin Buch, our Director of Mission Advancement, were busy creating a Financial Plan for the campaign that would make wise use of our campaign donations in combination with a loan from our synod's Church Extension Fund, which would then allow our building project to start! The MLHS Board of Control and Federation delegates approved this plan in May of 2023, taking us to an exciting new development in our campaign: moving forward with creating construction drawings (CDs) which will be distributed to contractors for bids!
- A Groundbreaking Celebration -Wednesday, September 27, 2023.
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