Organization achieves non-profit status; sets goal to raise $250,000
in its initial Wild for Cats campaign
To enhance the educational experience for students at Lake Highlands High School, provide support for staff and foster strong relationships with alumni, the Lake Highlands High School Education Foundation (LHHSEF) has been established in Dallas in support of the Richardson ISD school. The organization was formed in March and granted 501(c)(3) non-profit status. It now serves as the home for Wild for Cats, the annual fundraising campaign to support academic needs, and the Lake Highlands High School Alumni Association.
“Maintaining and strengthening the academic excellence at Lake Highlands High School is important and is reflective of our community’s core value that education for all students is essential for a strong neighborhood,” said Robin Moss Norcross, president of the LHHSEF. “We appreciate the support from parents, students, educators, local businesses and alumni who choose to help create a brighter future for all of us by supporting the education of students of Lake Highlands High School, and to keep that school spirit strong last past graduation.”
Wild for Cats previously operated under the RISD Foundation. The move to a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit, the LHHSEF, along with the Lake Highland High School Alumni Foundation, creates a synergy to achieve a broader vision, allowing for targeted donor recruitment and engagement opportunities, more expansive enhancements to student and teacher support, enhanced communications and networking between LHHS and its alumni, with plans to create scholarships for LHHS seniors and an LHHS Alumni Awards program to further the legacy and traditions of the high school.
“The success in establishing the LHHSEF is the direct result of the tireless dedication of volunteers including Kristen Moran, Kay Shelton and Kari Urban, without whom we would not be where we are today,” Norcross said.
To celebrate the formation of LHHSEF, the annual Wild for Cats fundraising campaign will recognize donors at $1,000 or above as Founding Partners of LHHSEF. These founding partners will not only invest in LHHS academics but will contribute to start-up and ongoing operations of the foundation. Founding Partner contribution levels include:
? Founding Partners
- Legacy ($50,000+)
- Tradition ($25,000-$49,999)
- Excellence ($10,000-$24,999)
- Distinguished Scholar ($5,000-$9,999)
- Scholar ($2,500-$4,999)
- Honor Society ($1,000-$2,499)
Founding Partners will have permanent recognition on the LHHSEF website, select printed materials, and at LHHS, as well as lifetime membership in LHHS Alumni Association for alumni donors of $2,500 or more. Wild for Cats offers several other levels of support. All donors will be recognized and receive a Wild for Cats yard sign.
For more information about these founding sponsorships, please contact Robin Moss Norcross at robin@localresidentrealty.com.
Wild for Cats can trace its roots back 20 years ago, when LHHS teacher David Wood, former executive assistant Karen Clardy (now RISD Board of Trustees president) and then Principal Dr. Bob Iden collaborated to create an academic booster to counteract the statewide recapture plan set in place in 1993. In 2005, LHHS supporter Jim Adams worked with Dr. Iden to formalize a steering committee. With this change, the Wild for Cats theme gained steam, raising $300,000 and establishing a legacy. Wild for Cats became a fund under the RISD Foundation 501(c)(3) umbrella in 2005, and, with the founding of the LHHSEF, is now located under the LHHSEF 501(c)(3) organization. Since its inception, Wild for Cats has provided additional funding to further enhance learning opportunities for students, provide tools that improve the learning environment and offer training opportunities for staff. Utilizing donations from the community, Wild for Cats has disbursed approximately $1,500,000 to date.
“We have already been met with support from our community, and for that, we are grateful,” noted Norcross. “If you want to change the world, the best place to start is in your own neighborhood, with the education of the students who will create our future and support for the teachers that guide them. We’re elated to offer that opportunity to residents, businesses and alumni, and we look forward to working together to create unparalleled educational opportunities at LHHS.”
For more information on the LHHSEF, or to donate or volunteer, please visit www.LHHSFoundation.org.
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