December 2005 Development Newsletter

Article Body: Happy New Year everybody! Here's hoping this edition of the Graceland Development Office Newsletter finds you in good spirits and raring to go for a banner 2006! Our number one New Year's resolution is to keep you and yours closely connected to the most special small private college in the world! And if we didn't believe that, then we'd surely be doing something else.

Hurricane Katrina may have devastated the Gulf Coast but she continues to bring out the best in us. Graceland Winter term courses will see dozens of our students travel all over the world, but maybe this year the most special trip of them all is to Long Beach, Mississippi. Professor Dan Pratt is heading up a group of 18 Gracelanders trekking down to that community to help rebuild a Community of Christ member's demolished home. Accommodations will be anything but first rate for the team and the sign up cost was $450. Good luck students and Godspeed. Click here to see other stories about how people from Graceland are helping out.

In February Graceland will celebrate "Black History Month" but we are already proud of what happened on "the hill" back on December 5. The Black Student Union hosted a Civil Rights Commemoration event in the Memorial Student Center - the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama city bus. After a 10-minute video about the Civil Rights Movement and the reading of an excerpt from "The Invisible Man," guest speaker Reverend Touissant L. Cheaton of Bethel AME Church in Des Moines shared some of his experiences dealing with cultural differences in America. This spectacular night was co-sponsored by Graceland's LEAD program.

The "Dare to Rejoice" Temple Advent Worship Service was out of this world down in Independence on December 11. Those who couldn't enjoy the beauty of the Graceland Concert Choir, Orchestra, String Quartet, Handbells, Chamber Singers and Faculty Soloists actually got a sneak preview on the Lamoni campus the week before. We've got some awesome talent around here! Click here to enjoy some of the video clips straight from the Community of Christ web page.

It's what we do every year - make New Year's resolutions, that is. But the million dollar question you should ask - Is my estate plan up-to-date in case I'm not around some day? It might seem like a daunting task but actually with a little help from your friends, can be rather exciting. And for those of you smiling - thinking back on how you took care of this stuff years ago - not so fast with the backslapping. The US Congress has passed legislation over the past decade that could affect some of the best laid retirement plans. In our Planning Tip of the Month we want you to get up to speed by learning more…and you can also contact Todd Sturgis, at tsturgis@graceland.edu for ideas and options to help meet your planning objectives. You could be on the verge of your best New Year’s resolution!

"If you build it they will come" is the theme of our brand new Graceland Forever Capital Campaign DVD. The Development staff is now showing the presentation during trips around the country. The video delves into the Science and Technology Center Project which is the main thrust of the campaign's phase II. Investors in Graceland's future can get a good look at what this project is all about and also enjoy some of the great comments made at the Advisory and Leadership team dinner that took place in Independence back in October. Just 18 months into the campaign we have gone over the $8.1 million dollar mark for all campaign needs and that doesn't count some pretty awesome gifts made in December! When we build it they will come!

Talk about "awesome gifts" - in this month's Donor Spotlight we salute Jim and Lorene Henson of Bonita Springs, Florida. Jim is a former Graceland Board of Trustees member while Lorene grew up in Lamoni. They met and graduated from Graceland in the early 1950's and the rest, as they say, is history. The Hensons have pledged $150,000 to the Science and Tech Center Project with an initial installment of $50,000 already in Graceland's hands. The Hensons will be naming two different rooms in the new building in honor of two of their sons. You can join the excitement by making a gift today.

Before we call it a wrap, here's a heads up to those of you who would be interested in getting an early jump on your summer golf games. The Yellowjacket Club is putting together another outing slated for the Rancho de los Caballeros Resort in Arizona on April 21-24. If you'd like to have some fun in the Arizona sun and make a difference at Graceland in the process, contact Todd Sturgis as soon as possible at tsturgis@graceland.edu. Fore!

Until next month, again Happy New Year and all of the best in 2006!
Event Date: 12/31/2005 1:55 PM