As the “Save Our Schools” campaign begins its final week , plans are afoot for a “SOS Grand Finale Celebration” on Sunday, August 15 from 4pm to 7pm at the Santa Monica High School Science Quad. The event will include announcements of totals raised.

The final week of the campaign will rely heavily on last-minute donors and those who are in a position to increase their current commitment. The campaign has already earned over a million dollars, or about 20% of the funding lost when Measure A, the local school funding measure, did not reach the two-thirds vote required to pass last May.

“Last week we reached $1 million, and that’s a huge accomplishment,” says Linda Gross, Executive Director of the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation “but this week is all about doing more. If we can get more direct donations, we have a real chance of making a significant difference for next year.” The public is encouraged to make donations online at www.smmef.org

Donations can also be mailed in to SMMEF, 1649 16th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404, but all donations must be RECEIVED by August 15th to make a difference for September. “We are collecting funds right up until the last minute, because every dime helps our kids for next year. We expect some people will even walk their donations in to our Grand Finale Celebration!” says Gross.

Sunday’s “SOS Grand Finale Celebration”, which marks the culmination of the Save Our Schools 60 day campaign, is a picnic to which all members of the community are invited. The event will highlight the campaign accomplishments and recognize the people and organizations who helped make this campaign a success. Food trucks will be on hand, complimented by free lemonade and free music.

Speakers at the event include Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent Tim Cuneo, and members of the SMMUSD Board of Education.

For more information, visit:
http://savesantamonicamalibuschools.org/

ABOUT SAVE OUR SCHOOLS

Following the narrow defeat of Measure A in May which would have protected vital programs and retained teacher jobs, the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation launched the Save Our Schools campaign, an emergency appeal to help fill the funding gap for the 2010-11 school year.

Save Our Schools will continue fundraising efforts through August 15th to help provide funding for elementary class size reduction, lower secondary class sizes, and restore music, library and counseling programs for the next school year. When the Save Our Schools campaign concludes, the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation will continue its fundraising efforts to provide support for all SMMUSD students.

For ongoing information on the Save Our Schools Campaign and upcoming events, visit www.smmef.org