February 2007 Development Newsletter

Article Body: What a joy to sit down and bang out the latest edition of the Graceland University Development Office Newsletter. I've got news this time around that is "hot off the presses" and will certainly send goose bumps up and down your spine. Let's start with philanthropy at its best!

The couple with the best pizza in all of Louisiana has given the Graceland Forever Capital Campaign a major boost. Johnny Huntsman, GU Class of '62, and his wife, Sharon, have gifted a whopping $1 million to the university. It is a win-win scenario for both GU and the community of Lamoni and here's why. The money will be used to install a state-of-the-art artificial surface on the football field at the Bruce Jenner Sports Complex. It means the Lamoni High School football team will never have to cancel a Friday night game on account of bad weather, and local recreation teams will now be given the green light to use the field without worrying about excessive wear and tear. Graceland Head Football Coach Cris Welch has been on Cloud 9 for days and says, "This is a pivotal point in re-establishing our football program!" Please read the whole story on this magnificent gift by clicking on $1 Million Gift.

The good news from the Graceland Athletic department doesn't stop there. Everybody now, let's give our own Dan Hanton a standing ovation because he sure deserves one. Dan was recently honored by the Michigan High School Coaches Association with a service award after a review of his outstanding 40 years of work in the great state of Michigan. And that's not all, folks. Hanton has just been named Heart of America Athletic Conference Athletic Director of the Year. That actually had to be a no-brainer, considering how GU’s sports warriors have performed this school year. Hey, Dan, Congratulations!

Graceland is mighty proud of our new Board of Trustees chairperson and his wife as well. Ken and Cindy McClain were recently given the Distinguished Service Award by the Independence, Missouri, Chamber of Commerce. All they have done is devote a major portion of their time and financial resources to the revitalization of the Truman Historic District and the Independence Square. The McClains have a deep-rooted passion for their church, their community and Graceland University. They adore their six kids, too.

As board chair, Ken would want us to remind you of the exciting Challenge Grant that's been presented to Graceland. An anonymous donor has promised $2 million to the Science and Technology Center Project if the Development staff can raise $4 million in cash by May 31, 2007. Have you made your gift to the project or the overall Graceland Forever Capital Campaign yet? Please think hard about Graceland's future and your family's role in preserving that future. The challenge grant applies only to gifts restricted to this project.

Lights, camera, action! Who knows? That could well be in the future for one of Graceland's talented actors. I want to brag just a little about senior Arbër Mehmeti from Pristina, Kosovo. Mehmeti has won the regional Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition at the annual Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. Arber was nominated for his role as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, which played to large crowds in December at The Shaw Center for the Performing Arts. The next stop for Mehmeti is the national competition in Washington, D.C., in mid-April.

There was plenty of "hamming it up" at a recent Graceland basketball game. It can never be said that we didn't get the most out of our Students in Free Enterprise Team landing on boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes. Not only has our development staff been giving away boxes during our many trips around the country, but the SIFE team also gave away 200 collectors' editions with a free-throw shooting contest. You'll love some of the shots we took, with a camera that is, by clicking here on Corn Flakes giveaway, and here to see Alumni Hoisting the Flakes.

You should see the Swarm Inn. The place is totally awesome after a month-long renovation project by Graceland's Facility Services team, made possible with the financial backing of both Sodexho and various GU honor classes. A new traffic-flow floor plan is complemented with new spiffy furniture. One of the three huge wall-mounted flat panel TV sets was donated by the Parents' Association. If a picture says a thousand words, then click on the photo and take your own tour of the new and improved "Swarm".

This next blurb is aimed at our on-the-go alumni who might be intrigued with the daydream of dining at dusk on a terrace in Tuscany, or drifting in a gondola down the magic waterways of Venice. Graceland's next Alumni Association trip is heading to Italy. The total package is a real deal at $1,899 per person. Please contact our Alumni Programs Director Nancy Wallace at 641-784-5258 or send a quick e-mail to wallace@graceland.edu. "You may have the universe if I may have Italy." Giuseppe Verdi.

For those of you who much prefer a juicy cheeseburger after a hard-fought round of golf to authentic pizza in Europe, then maybe you should consider joining this year's duffers at the annual Yellowjacket Club Golf outing. The third annual event is now called "The Yellowjacket" and is set for April 19-22 in Wickenburg, Arizona. Our resident scratch golfer driving this event is the one, the only, Todd Sturgis '91, and he wants you to give him a call if you need more info: 515-202-1747. You can also e-mail Todd at tsturgis@graceland.edu.

The Center for the Study of the Korean War held its Eighth Annual Conference in February. This year's focus was "War and Gender," with a wide variety of speakers and presenters from around the United States, England and South Korea. If you are in the dark with regards to the center and its spectacular work researching the "Forgotten War," please click on CSKW to learn so much more.

Our Estate Planning Tip of the Month comes straight from the desk of our Director of Gift Planning, Ed Fredenberg. We visit with so many couples who tell us they would love to make a significant gift to their alma mater as part of their will, but they're torn between their concern of outliving their money and a desire to leave a legacy for their children. What most families haven't been told concerns the adverse tax consequence of passing the remainder of an IRA or qualified retirement plan to their children. There is an easy-to-use solution which allows you to use your IRA for your kids and charity, too. YES, you can "Give it Twice!" This option allows you to give the asset to your children over a period of time without adverse tax consequences. Then, at a predetermined date that you choose, your gift is transferred to the university. This plan also has the approval of Uncle Sam. E-mail Ed at edfreden@graceland.edu for your FREE (no obligation) illustration showing how such a plan could work for you.

That covers just some of the many great things happening on "the Hill." I hope all is well in your neck of the woods.
Event Date: 2/28/2007 9:45 AM