In the fall of 2004, LEAF began a new method of support for student activities by agreeing to be the supporting charitable agency for the Apollo Giving Calendar Fundraiser. Under Minnesota Gambling guidelines this fundraiser, a form of a raffle done in support of all student activities at Apollo, needed to have a charitable organization serve as the fiscal agent for the raffle. LEAF agreed to take on this role.
Until the Giving Calendar Fundraiser, each activity at Apollo had done separate fundraisers during their season to purchase supplies, transportation, and even sometimes to pay for coaches. These fundraisers, which typically sold candy, candles, wrapping paper, etc., usually returned just 40-50% of the proceeds to the activity. The rest of the sales money went to the company that produced the product, usually from outside the St. Cloud area. With the Giving Calendar, Apollo (with the assistance of LEAF) has established a program-wide fundraiser that is done just once – in September – and involves all Apollo activities' participants. Unlike most fundraisers, all of the proceeds (approximately 85% - 90% of total sales) go directly to the student athletic, academic, or fine arts activities identified by the students themselves.
Anyone who purchases a calendar for $20 is eligible for a raffle each day of the year – 365 chances! Most days pay $20 to the lucky winner whose name is drawn. Sundays pay back $50, many holidays $100, New Years $500, and Christmas $1,000. Winners are announced each month on the Apollo website and checks are mailed monthly.
All funds raised through this fundraiser ($71,000 in the first year) are deposited in the LEAF account with Bremer Bank. The LEAF Treasurer writes the checks each month and the Apollo activities department mails the checks to the winners. The Giving Calendar Fundraiser has been very successful in its first three years. Through the help of LEAF, over $179,000 has been raised in support of student activities at Apollo as of the 2006-07 school year.
