That's the Way the Thunder Rumbles

Children of the 80’s or 90’s may recall the line above from Echo and the Bunnymen. The band was singing of buffalo and bison of course, whereas I’m writing, with some sentimentality (which according to paragraph 3 of the school philosophy is one of the excesses that is permitted), of the noblest creature of all: the Bruin.

The 2008-2009 Annual Fund Campaign has ended. In this economically challenging time, the new measure of success is “Did you match what you did last year?” Well, not us. We exceeded last year’s total by 5% and raised a total of $1,557,329. This is a many-layered statement about Park School.

Foremost, we are fortunate to have a corps of volunteers who work tirelessly on the Annual Fund. They spend many dark nights in the fall and winter phoning alumni, parents, and grandparents. They work cards from home throughout the year, and they always ask, “Is there anything else I can do to help?” Oh yes, they also make their own generous gifts.

Then there’s the team of Len Weinberg ‘76 and Tom Wetzler ‘84. These two provide the leadership for the Annual Fund effort. They’re present and working at all of our events, and they do all of the out-of- sight work that makes it possible for Park to hit its goals. They are indefatigable, good-natured, and provide an incalculable service to the cause.

Ultimately, there’s each contributor to the Annual Fund. You are the ones who made this year a success. Thank you. Achieving these results in this difficult year makes a powerful statement about how much Park’s students and faculty matter to all of us.

This year’s campaign worked because young alumni made first time gifts of $10, because parents who could increase their support did, because grandparents understood the need to support the school, because parents of alumni have remembered how significant the school was in their family’s life, and because faculty in overwhelming numbers--more than 90%--chose to support this effort.

A few highlights from 2008-2009:

An all-time high of 68 college-aged alums supported the campaign.

A Trustee, who had already made a sizeable donation in the winter, stepped up to make another significant contribution towards the Meyerhoff Challenge, and I had to stop him from giving more.

Speaking of the challenge, the family of Lyn P. Meyerhoff has been extraordinarily supportive of all things Park for many years. In the spring, the Lyn P. Meyerhoff Foundation committed to matching 50% of new and increased gifts to provide financial assistance dollars for families who developed new needs this year. Yes, our community met the challenge and $50,000 was raised. We are all grateful for the Meyerhoffs’ vision and inspiration and generosity.

So if you’re still wondering why this edition began with thunder---that’s how it felt around here as the campaign came to a close. The community rallied to make this year far better than what the rest of the world is using as a measure of success. The Bruin Nation rose to the occasion in a thunderous roar of approval for the ole Park School. Thank you to everyone who took part in this success. It would not have happened without you.

That’s the Way the Thunder Rumbles in Brooklandville.