Fundraising Brainstorm

Author: Liz Monroy

Planning is exciting but raising the money to make it happen is a challenge!

As a lot of students know, the Costa Rica trip is coming up in 2026 and many more trips in the future. Our goal for each student who wants to attend this trip is $3,500, and with teamwork, we can reach that goal. Fundraising is not only a way to raise money, but also a chance to bring our community together. Some simple ideas include bake sales, car wash, and yard sales. All these classic fundraisers can earn you a good amount of money. Another good thing you get from fundraising is not putting any stress or pressure on your parents shoulders. Some parents might not have $3,500 off the bat so it's a great way of supporting them and helping them instead of parents stressing figuring out how they're going to get that amount of money while still having responsibilities to fulfill. It's a great way to also build school spirit and make the family and community come together.

Along with the Costa Rica trip, there are also many field trips throughout the year and some need some preparation as well. For example, last year's LSU club members went to Santa Cruz at the end of the year but, in order to have made that trip happen, they had to fundraise throughout the school year to make it possible. At the end , they still had to pay a certain amount to go. It wasn’t a crazy amount of money but field trips like this often happen throughout the school year. Another example is intersession week. Depending on what intersession you are assigned, you have to pay a certain amount because they are field trips all week and transportation also costs money plus the meals they will be eating if they decide to eat out. Costa Rica itself is an intersession,  and it's not the only out of state trip. Last year they went to Japan and Washington D.C. It's always good to be prepared because you never know what other opportunities the school will provide for students. Even if you aren’t planning on going on a trip it's not a bad idea to still fundraise because you never know if next year they will have a trip to your dream destination! And if you're a senior and you have already been to some intersession trips and you think it's not worth it, then think again because you might have forgotten about the Disney trip all seniors take or prom. I assure you that you wouldn’t want to miss any of these because it's a great final goodbye to your senior year while you hang out with your peers that maybe you’ve known since freshman year. 

There are so many things we can do to fundraise and you don't have to go through it alone. The school and your community is always there for support when you need it. If you have any ideas for fundraising never hesitate or hold back, instead pitch the idea to student government where they can forward it to Mr. Muerle. There have been so many fundraisers that have been successful before and it doesn't mean they won't succeed again. Some ideas can be a student vs. staff sports game, set up a raffle with donated prizes, or even try a crowdfunding campaign page online to reach family and friends outside of school. Our school has done a student vs staff game before and we have seen the community gather together for an exciting game, so I doubt that they will help and support the school as well with a fundraiser.