Thank you to all who attended the Kentucky Derby Auction Fundraiser. Friday evening was a huge success and we couldn’t have done it without the support of our Zion families. Thank you to those of you who donated items for the silent and live auction. We hope to have a final tally on the amount raised later this week. Congratulations to Greg and Julie Martin, winners of the free tuition drawing. If you need to finalize your account from Friday night, please stop by the school office after school and see Ms. Hueske.

The total raised from the Buck a Bag fundraiser is $1,729.00! That’s a lot of bags! Thank you for your donations. Receipts for your donations are available in the school and church offices.

PTL is once again planning the Annual Flower Sale, Saturday, May 7 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Volunteers are needed to help this event be a success. Follow the link to sign up: http://tinyurl.com/zlsfs2016. Volunteer sign-up sheets are also available in the school office. If you have questions, please call Nicki Maillet at 303-921-6752.

The 5th – 8th grade mission project will be to the David Clifton Ministries to pack food boxes for people in need. Donations are needed! The students need to collect as many canned goods in 1 week as they can! The students will be going to the ministry on Monday, April 25th. You can help by bringing tuna packs, food with easy open tabs like soup, and canned meat. Jars of peanut butter, granola bars and dry goods would be great! There are tables located in the school and church lobbies. Thanks for your help!

We will draw a winner at the Auction next Friday. Each entry for the drawing is $100 and are available to purchase NOW through April 15, 2016 in the School Office or at the Auction. Complete the attached form and return it to the school or church office with a check. You can also send the information to zionauction@outlook.com and indicate that you would like the ticket(s) added to your final checkout bill at the auction or that a check will be dropped off.

Tickets will also be sold at the Auction. Winner will be drawn at the live auction (winner does not have to be present to win so even if you are not planning to attend the auction, you can still win!).

**WE MUST SELL AT LEAST 50 TICKETS**
(*Free tuition is for one child for the academic year 2016-2017. Subject to minimum tickets sales of at least 50 tickets sold before the drawing at the auction. If minimum sales are not met, all entry fees will be refunded.)

Also, don’t miss the auction! Download and fill out the ticket reservation formby next Thursday, April 14th!

We’ve received a lot of questions about the Slam Dunk Fundraiser that is posted in the narthex and school atrium and we’d like to take this opportunity to address them.

• What is the Slam Dunk Fundraiser?
  The Slam Dunk Fundraiser is an initiative to raise $100,000 to replace Zion’s gym floor and bleachers.
• Why do we need a new gym floor?
  The current gym floor uses asbestos tiles that are starting to break apart in certain areas of the gym. Beyond the cosmetic effect, this creates a safety issue due to the uneven surface and affects events held in the gym. These tiles are costly to repair as we must have an asbestos-trained person to do the work. Additionally, individual tiles cannot be replaced because tiles of similar thickness or color are no longer available for purchase.
• Why do we need new bleachers?
  The current bleachers are not a closed system, which means we have open gaps between seating rows. They are a safety issue for many who struggle to walk thru the rows to their seats. Students or adults attending a concert or game frequently hurt themselves by accidently slipping and injuring their ankles or feet. A lesser issue is the amount of items that fall into the gaps, causing people to go under the system to pick up items or clean spills.
• Who benefits from this project?
  Our entire ministry at the church and school benefits from this project. Both the church and school use the gym year-round as a multipurpose facility. The church uses it for music concerts, guest presenters, the church bazaar, coffee hour, and youth programs. The school uses it for P.E., lunch program, assemblies, sports programs, and musicals.
• Why does it cost so much?
  $100,000 is a lot of money but it is the most reasonable solution. We received numerous bids for the gym floor and narrowed the bids down to three companies. The most expensive bid was $95,000 for the gym floor alone. We also received a bid for $58,000 but ultimately, we went with the least expensive bid of $48,000. This solution will lay down a vapor barrier on top of the asbestos tiles before the Pulastic Classic rubberized flooring is laid down. . This approach saves $10,000-$20,000 by not removing the asbestos tiles. The vapor barrier is a certified material that meets all safety requirements. The cost of the bleachers is $30,000. The new bleachers are a closed system made of a hardened plastic with a metal frame. They will be much lighter than our current bleachers, making it far easier to move them back and forth. More importantly, the closed system will make it much safer for people to move freely to and from their seats. $20,000 has been set aside for contingency to address any unexpected costs.
• How much money has been raised?
  We have raised $4,000 towards our goal to date. Zion’s National Junior Honor Society and PTL are supporting this project through various fundraising projects. Additionally, proceeds from Zion’s upcoming auction on April 15 will go towards supporting this project. If you would like to support this project, please call the school office for more information, or make checks payable to Zion Lutheran School. On the memo line, write the word, “Gym.”

If you are interested in further details or would like to discuss possible funding for the project, please contact Zach Brewer at 303.659.3443.