Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF) held their annual CSF Telethon May 6th, raising more than $150,000 for Coronado schools. Even during these uncertain times, the community came together to support what is most important, their children and their future. Through sponsorship from local community businesses to donations from young entrepreneur students, the community came closer to their goal of $200,000 than they ever thought possible during the current crisis. CSF exceeded their goal of connecting the community, sharing some laughs, some tears and some unforgettable moments.
The four hour telethon dedicated one hour to each of the four district schools. Viewers watched as their favorite teachers and administrators played game shows, or shared stories and messages of encouragement during this time of separation. Videos from past performances from the bands and performing arts groups where shown, as well as a heartfelt ‘Salute to Seniors’ that put hundreds of photos of members of Coronado High’s Class of 2020 to music. If you were unable to watch the telethon live, or just want to catch your favorite parts online again, you can watch it on Coronado TV here: http://coronadotv.me/community–3/05072020-1168.
CSF is still determined to reach their goal of raising $200,000, so if you would like to support this worthy cause visit https://www.csfkids.org/you-can-help/donate.html and donate to your favorite school. Anyone donating $100 will receive a Coronado Local’s card, and those donating $365 or more will be entered to win a shiny new Holland’s Bicycles’ bike, or donors of $500 or more have the opportunity to win a state-of-the-art surfboard from Emerald City. CSF will draw the winners for the bike and surfboard on Friday, May 15th, so get those donations in quick.
“We at CSF are honored to be a part of this community, working toward the common goal of enriching the lives of our children,”said Jeanmarie Bond, President and CEO of CSF.
The impact CSF has on the programs at Coronado schools is significant, especially considering the state funding cuts in recent years for CUSD. To make up for the state’s funding shortfalls, CSF pays for many programs that would have to have been cut otherwise. During the 2019-2020 school year, CSF grant funding for the STEM innovation pathway exceeded $500,000, and for the Arts Pathway the donation was close to $300,000. The funding supports things like the innovation lab teacher salaries, robotics teams, science and engineering lab materials, music and performing arts programs and so much more. At Coronado Middle School alone, CSF funds STEM and Arts classes such as Engineering, Coding, KCMS Broadcasting, Performing Arts, Digital Media, Art as well as the new state of the art innovation lab where students can reach beyond typical learning through design thinking and creative problem solving.
Members of the Coronado community understand just how important supporting their schools is. The popular ‘Island Girl’ Blog, by Coronado local Christine Van Tuyl, encouraged community members to “grab your popcorn, a beverage of your choice, and settle in to watch the Coronado community rally around our amazing schools.” Van Tuyl noted “Now that virtual events are the new normal, the Coronado Schools Foundation (CSF) is in sync with the times and set to air the FIRST EVER fully-virtual CSF Telethon on May 6, 2020 from 5-9pm. In a combination of pre-recorded segments and live tapings with scheduled Zoom calls, Coronado residents, students and supporters will be entertained and delighted with the telethon to support our schools.”
During the broadcast, the winning ticket for the brand-new Forester Six Passenger Electric Golf Cart was announced. Congratulations to Rick and Lanette Perryman on your shiny new toy!
The Telethon was made possible by Presenting Sponsor Swinerton and Swinerton Renewable Energy, pivotal partners in the $125 million Hotel Del Coronado renovation project, along with Producing Partner Mullins Orthodontics and Golf Cart Opportunity Sponsor Willis Allen Real Estate of Coronado. Block Partners for each of the hours include the Hotel Del Coronado, Buona Forchetta, Alan Kinzel from Douglas Elliman Realty, and Dr. Suzanne Popp and Dr. Natalie Bailey from Advanced Dentistry in Coronado. Underwriting Partners for the production were La Mer on Orange Avenue, Spiro’s Greek Café, the Chisholm Mickel Team from Berkshire Hathaway, Clayton’s Coffee Shop, CMG Mortgage, Nicolls Design, and Navy Federal Credit Union. The team from Finest City Entertainment produced and broadcast the show, with dozens of Coronado community members working virtually to ensure this show’s success.
