Bear Necessities of Pat Hardy Raises Over $26K For School

Bear Necessities has raised over $26K with TeamFund’s food fundraisers since 2020 for classroom learning tools. Bear Necessities is the Student Advisor Council for Pat Hardy School, and their fundraisers have helped fund books, sensory pads, and a therapy dog!

About Bear Necessities of Pat Hardy Elementary School

Based in Whitecourt, Alberta, Pat Hardy Elementary School supports students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5. Guided by the motto “Always Learning. Learning All Ways,” the school is committed to fostering each child’s success in a safe and inclusive learning environment.

The teachers at Pat Hardy are lifelong learners who stay up-to-date on research focused on how children learn. Their goal is to impart not only knowledge but also confidence and a growth mindset to their students. To keep pace with innovative teaching practices, the school looks to their Student Advisor Council (SAC), Bear Necessities, to help fundraise for new learning tools each year.

Bear Necessities: Student Advisor Council Supports Elementary School Fundraising Efforts

We had a conversation with Clare, the current chair of Bear Necessities, who has been part of the SAC for three years. Passionate about connecting with fellow parents and supporting school learning initiatives, Clare is one of five dedicated parent board members who meet monthly. The SAC collaborates with the school to identify needs and set fundraising goals.

In the past, initiatives have funded resources like books and sensory pads. This year, the big goal is to raise funds for a new therapy dog, which supports students’ social and emotional learning. With their current dog set to retire soon, the anticipation for a replacement is in the air!

The SAC organizes several fundraisers throughout the year. Last year, their fundraisers included chocolate and cookie dough. This year, they are partnering with a local greenhouse in the spring for a flower fundraiser.

While chocolates and flowers are fun and seasonal, one fundraiser Bear Necessities returns to year after year is TeamFund’s food fundraisers. Parents get to stock up on groceries knowing that up to 20% of their purchase directly contributes to the school’s success – it’s a win-win!

The Power of Consistency: TeamFund’s Impact on Bear Necessities’ Fundraising Success

Wolverines Hockey Club, delivery in Calgary, June 2023. Holding cheque of all time raised over $36,000.

Bear Necessities discovered TeamFund in a local Whitecourt Facebook group, and since their first Bacon Fundraiser with TeamFund in 2020, they haven’t looked back!

Over eight successful fundraising campaigns, they have raised over $26,000 for the school to fund learning tools. Recently, they decided to switch things up for the new Southern Alberta Fill Your Freezer Fundraiser.

TeamFund takes care of setting up an online store, tracking payments, generating reports, and organizing the delivery. Clare loves that it is easy for parents to order online and pick up their food from the school after the fundraiser.

Aside from five dedicated board members, many vital parent volunteers help run fundraising efforts and events throughout the year. One of the benefits of TeamFund is there are only a few volunteers needed for delivery day:

“I like that you don’t need a lot of volunteers to run a [TeamFund] fundraiser.”

Clare, Bear Necessities Chair

Since few volunteers are needed, it is a fundraiser they can run year after year without worrying about whether there will be enough volunteers.

Beyond the simplicity of organizing the school fundraiser, TeamFund provides consistent, high-quality products.

“Any goal we make through TeamFund is always met. I’ve only heard positive things about the food. I love the bacon and the burgers, and I was eyeing the cheese at our recent delivery.”

Clare, Bear Necessities Chair

In their most recent Fall Fill Your Freezer fundraiser, they were able to raise over $2,300 toward their goal of a new therapy dog.

Congratulations to Bear Necessities on your fundraising success!

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01 Download a Fundraising Package: Our free fundraising package is meant to be shared with your committee and includes important information, goal calculators, and more!

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03 Sign Up Your Fundraising Group: Ready to get going? All you need to do is sign up for a fundraiser and start planning.

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