April 2007 Development Newsletter

Article Body: It's absolutely amazing what some people will do to honor and remember a special friendship once forged at Graceland. Hello and welcome to the April edition of the Development Office Newsletter. For the second consecutive edition we pass along news of a gift that will have a major impact on the ongoing Graceland Forever Capital Campaign Phase II. A group of friends living in various parts of the country have banded together to honor Steve Cackler '69. Dr. Cackler lost a long tough battle with a brain tumor several years ago, but he won't soon be forgotten. So far, this group has pledged almost $95,000 to the new Science and Technology Center, both to name a Science room in his honor and to create the Steve Cackler Endowed Scholarship. A significant portion of the gift will be paid in cash before the May 31 Challenge Grant deadline. Please let me know if you would like to honor someone using the same "team" approach. Remember, all cash gifts restricted to the Science and Tech project will be matched half to one by an anonymous donor until May 31. You can go online right now by clicking on Make a Gift Today. Yes, you can use a credit card.

A handful of Graceland students were on pins and needles a few weeks ago when the annual student election campaign was in full swing. Now that the posters and slogans have all come down, we can rip open the envelope and say something like, "and the winners are." Community of Christ Apostle Bunda Chibwe has to be extremely proud after his daughter Manasseh was elected Student Government President. Please click on her photo to view the entire cast of characters who will serve the student body starting in the Fall.

Speaking of a very talented "cast of characters," a job well done to the four students who starred in the Graceland Theatre Department's most recent production, Proof, a play by David Auburn, directed by Professor C.D. Adamson. Proof tells the story of an aging University of Chicago mathematics professor coming to grips with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Arbër Mehmeti, Katie Jean Lickteig, Damian Conrad-Davis, and Krista La Ray Ballantyne all did a superb job. Please click on the photo for more on-stage shots from the production.

By now you should know what SIFE stands for. Okay, one more time, that's Students in Free Enterprise. Our Graceland team is at it again. GU was just crowned REGIONAL CHAMPIONS in Chicago and now sets its sights on the SIFE USA National Expo in Dallas, Texas, in May. Get the whole story by clicking on SIFE Wins Regional. If we keep this up, I'm pushing for our team's photo to be on a box of Sugar Frosted Flakes simply because our kids are GRRRREEAATTT!

And here is GREAT news for high school students thinking hard about attending Graceland. The University has increased the Congregational Matching Grant Award from $1,000 to $1,500 annually. For those of you just tuning in, this means that students whose church congregations raise $1,500 to help support a student coming to Lamoni, will see Graceland match that on a per year basis for a total toward tuition of $3,000. You should also know that GU will allow church denominations other than Community of Christ to participate in this program. Please double click on I Can Go to Graceland for more information on how you can help make a dream come true.

As we approach summer, many of you are already making plans for vacations. If you've not updated your Will or Living Trust in the last 3-5 years, now is the perfect time to do so. In our Estate Planning Tip of the Month, I challenge you to make a commitment to yourself and your family to update this important document. Allow yourself plenty of time to complete this process. Email or call for your FREE copy of "You Never Need to Change Your Will Unless" to make sure you consider all critical aspects of your estate plan. If you have questions about this or other aspects of your estate plan, you are welcome to contact Ed Fredenberg at edfreden@graceland.edu or call 1-800-645-3582.

It's out with the old and in with the new this time of year for Graceland athletic teams. Please check out our official sports website by clicking on Yellowjacket Sports Rock. You are just a click away from news on the men's volleyball team's performance in post season play, two Track and Field All-Americans and season openers for both the baseball and softball squads. Now if it would only stop raining in southern Iowa.

What a great time we had at the Graceland Independence campus reception during the Community of Christ World Conference last week. Scrumptious food and plenty of giveaways made for a great party. The Development staff provided a shuttle service to and from the Community of Christ auditorium, giving alumni and friends the perfect window of opportunity to meet up with old acquaintances before getting back to the tedious business of conference. You can check out some of the pictures by clicking on the photo of the united friends. If you missed Conference this year, then catch up on the historical moments by parking your mouse on World Conference archives.

The Tuesday night soirée was not the only Graceland presence at the Community of Christ's World Conference. Several projects spearheaded by GU's Outreach International Club and Campus Ministries team personified true discipleship. First off, a group biked 120 miles from Lamoni to Independence calling the trek "Peddling for Poverty." They also put on a Beans and Rice Meal and a Barefoot Day that even the Apostles dressed down for. Altogether, the Graceland teams raised $2,000 during Conference bringing their yearly total to $12,000. And get this, after the Beans and Rice Meal, an anonymous donor pledged to match all donations for the year which adds up $24,000! All this money will go toward the sustainable good work of Outreach International. I think I can speak for the rest of the Development staff when I tell you how proud we were of our kids from Graceland University. And I haven't even mentioned the year long drive to raise money for a water project in Nicaragua.

The Graceland University Parents Association wants to invite you to a special event slated for Saturday April 28. It's Spring Parents Day on the Lamoni campus and it's packed with great activities. Clear out your schedule to enjoy the Campus Ministries/Outreach International Carnival, lunch in the Commons or Swarm Inn, Campus Life dialogue, Orchestra Concert in The Shaw Center and the 12^th Annual Hawaiian Luau. Click here to see the fun we had at the 11^th Luau. I'm worn out just writing about it.

Please mark September 28-30 on your calendars and in huge letters write, WE GO TO GRACELAND HOMECOMING! This year's newly-unveiled theme is, "The Hive Is Alive." Please use this link, Homecoming 2007, to get the skinny on what this year's return to Graceland might look like for you.

I can't believe there is anything I have missed. All of us in the Development Office hope you enjoy this monthly get-together through e-mail. Until next time, GO GRACELAND!
Event Date: 4/30/2007 9:35 AM