Community Fundraiser 2010
The Charles Armstrong School
@ the
San Francisco Exploratorium
February 27, 2010
7:00 - 10:00 pm
Everyone has always had a great time at the San Francisco Exploratorium. We are looking forward to the same again this year! It's an opportunity for the whole family to enjoy being together, have some fun, get some hands-on experience with science and technology--and
support CAS at the same time. Mark your calendars for Saturday,
February 27, 2010. We promise you wil be glad you came!
Join in the Bidding!
This year as part of the Community Fundraising Event, we are conducting an Online Auction. You can bid on lots of great items, including
- Vacation Get-Aways
- Restaurants
- Tickets to Sports Events
- Principal of the Day
- And much more
The Online Auction will be open for bidding on Friday, February 5, 2010 at 3:00 pm. Be sure and check it out. (You will be able to access the Online Auction through the CAS Home Page beginning February 5. 2010.)
New this year, Refer-A-Friend contest! Take a look at our Online Auction website for further details!
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
About the CAS Community Fundraiser
Click on any category and you will be directed to questions and answers for that category.
General Information
1. What is the Community Event?
This evening is a chance for families (parents and children) and friends to get together and mix. This is our fifth year and everyone who attended had a great time, so we’re doing it again! It is a place large enough for all of us, as well as being a fun and 
educational evening.
2. When is it?
It is on Saturday February 27, 2010
from 7:00pm – 10:00pm.
3. Where is it?
The San Francisco Exploratorium is located at
The Palace of Fine Arts
3601 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
4. Driving Directions
Driving Directions can be found on the Exploratorium website at www.exploratorium.edu
5. Is this a sit-down dinner?
No. There will be finger foods, desserts, beverages and wine. We will have seating for 240 people, and we expect 700 guests, so please don’t bring too many bags!
6. What does it cost? Do I need a ticket?
Admission for the evening is $20 per family. There are no tickets, but please RSVP, and submit money to Meghan Heath in Room 1 so that we can keep track of the numbers for catering.
7. What if I forgot to RSVP? Can I still come?
If you forgot to RSVP you can still come, but you will be asked to complete a name tag when you arrive and pay the $20 per family admission fee
8. What should I wear?
The event is informal, so casual dress is fine.
9. Is there parking?
There is lots of self parking available, and it is free.
10. Is there food and drink? Does the food have nuts?
Union Street Catering is providing finger foods, desserts and drinks. It is a free bar with beer, wine, water and soft drinks.
Nut allergies: The caterer does not guarantee that there are not traces of nuts, though no food ordered has nuts.
11. Should I bring some money?
Items for sale at the Exploratorium are limited to Raffle Tickets, CAS 
Marketplace Items where you can find
Fund-A-Need, and PRIZE WHEEL. You can use your credit card to get "CAS Bucks." There will not be refunds on CAS Bucks, so be sure to get only what you need. Credit Cards are accepted at Fund-A-Need and CAS Marketplace.
12. Is there a coat check?
There is a coat check, but we cannot accept bags.
13. What should I do if I can't come?
If you can't come, please consider donating some hours or money or items to help the event be a success; but definitely go to the online auction and bid on an item you like.
14. Why isn't this Community Fundraising Event held on the Peninsula?
The Exploratorium is a very fun and educational experience. There are new exhibits to be seen. It is also big enough for a large group like ours.
15. Why can’t we just have the event at CAS?
Under the terms of the Conditional Use Permit between CAS and the city of Belmont, we cannot hold major evening and weekend events on campus. The school also does not have the facilities to accommodate this number of people (we expect about 700 guests).
16. Are teachers invited?
Yes. All faculty and staff are invited, and will attend.
Exploratorium Questions
1. What is there to do at the Exploratorium?
The San Francisco Exploratorium is one of the top science museums in the United States. It has many hands-on exhibits to play with. There willbe docents to explain how things work. Since the exhibits change, much of it will be new since last year.
2. Is the Tactile Dome open?
The Tactile Dome is closed for the evening.
3. Are pets allowed in the Exploratorium?
No. Please leave your pets at home for the evening.
Event Activities
1. Are we having a band or play again?
Yes! We are fortunate enough to have a talented band play for us that evening.
2. What is the Wishing Well?
This year our Wishing Well allows you to donate to an area of yourchosing. Our programs are greatly enhanced by your donations. The categories are:
- Drama
- Sports
- Art
- Music
- Financial Aid
- Teacher Training
- Facility Improvement
5. What other activities are planned?
New to this year’s event, are a PRIZE WHEEL where you can pay a smallfee, spin the wheel and win a prize. We will also have the CAS 
marketplace,where you can purchase Imagination Wine amd custommade jewelery for great prices. We are also fortunate enough to have the band Along For the Ride play for us.
6. Where does all the money go?
All monies raised this year through the Online Auction, Raffle, Prize Wheel and CAS Marketplace, go to support the school programs, teacher recruitment and retention and Financial Aid.
Raffle
1. What is the Raffle? What are the prizes?
The Raffle will start 01/26/10, and end 02/26/10. Suggested donation for 1 ticket is $5 or 5 tickets for $20. Raffle tickets went out with the invitations and more went home with instructions via the children's backpacks.
Prizes
$500 Visa Gift Card
iPod Touch
Play Station 3 (250 GB)
Rewards for Selling Tickets
The top 15 sellers in the school will go in a stretch hummer for lunch at Benihana's on Friday, March 12, 2010. The class that sells the most tickets overall will get a movie party with popcorn and sundaes; and each child that sells 1 or more books of tickets will receive Free Dress on a day to be announced.
We will add up all sales made by February 26th to calculate the winners. Any raffle tickets sold on the night will not count towards the sellers' rewards. We will draw the winning raffle tickets on Tuesday, March 2nd at the all school assembly, but you need not be present to win.
Online Auction
1. What is the Online Auction?
The Online Auction works just like eBay. We put items up for sale, and set a minimum bid. You just go to www.charlesarmstrong.org and click on the Online Auction link. You must register and enter your credit card information in order to bid. Once you register, you will receive a user number, which will appear when you bid on items. No names will appear, so everything is anonymous. There is also an auto bid option, so you can enter your maximum bid, and let the Online Auction bid for you. Since you must register your email address too, the Online Auction will send an email notification to inform you when you are no longer winning.
2. When is the Auction?
The Online Auction is open from Saturday February 5, 2010 until Sunday February 28, 2010 at 7pm. There will be a bank of computers at the Exploratorium for you to log on and bid.
3. Why is it Online?
We are not allowed to hold any form of auction at the Exploratorium. We also think that most people like to browse on-line and that it's easy for us to reach a larger audience.
4. Can I see the items for sale?
The items for sale on the Online Auction will show a photograph (where possible) but will not be available for display. The exceptions to this are the Class Art Projects and the Class Baskets, which will be on display at the Exploratorium.
5. Do you still need items for the Online Auction?
Yes. We still need more items to sell – tickets, hotels, restaurants, any businesses or services, beauty etc.
6. Who do I give items to?
You can drop off items with Laura Birss in Room 5 of the Business Center.
7. Where do I get more donation forms?
Contact Laura Birss at lbirss@charlesarmstrong.org and she can email them to you.
How To Help
1. How can I help?
- Donate an item.
- Sell raffle tickets to family and friends.
- Sign up to volunteer to help on the night and in the week before and after the event.
- Read the information in the Weekly Bulletins, on the website and anything that comes home with the children.
- Come along!
Contact Us
To learn more about one or all of our fundraising events or programs, please contact Laura Birss, lbirss@charlesarmstrong.org