Judy Seckler
FREMONT ELEMENTARY -- Ask and you shall receive.
Such was the case at Fremont Elementary School in May 1999, when
Principal Cynthia Livingston told the school's Parent and Community group
the school needed new computers.
Parent and Community normally funds the school's upper-grade art
program and primary music program, said Beverly Van Citters, president of
the volunteer group. They have also donated extra funds for the library
so that a media assistant could have extended hours, subleased a
photocopier and paid for volleyball equipment for the physical education
department, she said.
"Considering how important computers are to the future, we wanted to
help out younger generations be computer literate," said Heather
Lindstrom, vice president of Parents and Community.
The group began a year of serious fund-raising.
Some of its accomplishments included:
* Van Citters applied for and received a $5,000 Glendale Community
Foundation grant.
* The Montrose-Verdugo Chamber of Commerce donated $1,000.
* Grizzly's Gifts, on Verdugo Boulevard, donated the proceeds -- $970
-- from its third anniversary celebration.
* The group wrote another grant and received $5,000 from the Montrose
Shopping Park Assn. * The group collected $4,000 in dues for yearly
membership at $10 per person.
* The group received a check from county Supervisor Mike Antonovich
for $2,500.
* The group exceeded the previous year's record of $2,000 by raising
close to $5,000 dollars at Pioneer Night. "We knew we had to buy 20
IMAC computers because Apple Computer offered this amount at a great
discount price," Van Citters said.
In June, the group went to the school board for approval and then
special-ordered the computers by Apple's deadline, Van Citters said.
Fremont Elementary should receive the equipment some time in fall.
