Boosters

Help out the Loft Stage by donating items around your home for use in theatre productions.

Here’s George’s Spring Cleaning Wish List:

• Furniture (present a photo before delivery)
• Household items for props
• Usable Latex Paint (1/2 gallon minimum)
• Fabrics or novelties for making costumes
• Clothing for costumes
• Curtains, tablecloths, blankets, etc.
• Storage containers
• Pictures or wall hangings

Coupon Cards Fundraiser is Back!

Back by popular demand is our merchant card individual fundraiser. Last year, many students earned big bucks by selling these popular discount cards to family, friends and neighbors. Students can use their individual funds for a variety of theater activities including activity fees, field trips and merchandise/photos. Here’s how it works:

The cards feature local businesses with various product discounts.  Last year merchants included Great Clips, Dairy Queen, Papa Murphy’s Pizza and Acapulco.  The cards sell for $20 and students get to keep $10 for every card they sell.  Most sales occur during a fun weekend sales blitz, where students work in teams to target ERHS neighborhoods to make sales.  This event is followed by a pizza party, complete with cash prize drawings and awards for top sellers.  All who participated last year had fun and were pleasantly surprised at how much they could earn in one afternoon.  “I was amazed how much fun it was and how easy it was to sell the cards,” said Beth Martin, who earned $180 during last year’s blitz.

We also need a handful of parent volunteers to work with teams on the sales blitz date.  Booster Mom Mary Kieffer helped last year: “It was so much fun to see how excited the kids were.  We were calling and texting back and forth with another team to see who had the most sales and the pizza party was a big hit.  Our kids love hanging out together anyway, so this way they can be together and earn money for their theater activities.”

This year’s fundraiser is March 1-22, with the all-important sales blitz on Sunday, March 3 from 1:00 – 5:00 pm.  Students need to sign up to participate by Feb. 8^th.  Ms. Hestwood has a sign up sheet in her office.  Any additional questions regarding the fundraiser can be directed to Todd and Annette Thorsen at 651-756-8032 or athorsen@comcast.net.

As an FYI, The Loft Stage Boosters conducts only two individual fundraisers per season: Butter Braids during the fall and the coupon cards during winter/spring.

• Vacuum sealed home baked treats
• Jerky
• Gatorade/PowerAde drink mix packets
• Ground coffee/ Starbucks, Caribou
• Protein bars
• Instant soups
• Gum
• Nuts
• Puzzle books
• Oatmeal packets
• Trail mix
• Chex mix
• Car magazines
• Hunting/sports magazines
• Lotion
• New movies
• Homemade Christmas cards the service folks can use to send to their loved ones back home

Opening night is just around the corner!

A tremendous amount of work has already gone into preparing for this amazing show.  But now we need your help to pull it off!

There are many ways that you can get involved.  We will need help with the Opening Night Gala, Silent Auction, Merchandise Sales, Ticket Sales, Flower Sales, and Ice Cream Sales.  There is definitely something for everyone!  We know that it’s getting to be a very busy time of year, so we’ve provided different timeslots for each of our volunteer opportunities.  Get out your calendars and choose a timeslot or two that work with your schedule!

Please click on the links below to sign up for your volunteer time:

Gala Volunteers:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4FADA82D6-gala

Silent Auction Volunteers: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4FADA82D6-white1

Ticket Volunteers:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4FADA82D6-white3

Ice Cream & Water Sales Volunteers:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4FADA82D6-white2

Merchandise Sales Volunteers:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4FADA82D6-white4

Flower Sales Volunteers:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B4FADA82D6-white5

Thank you in advance for being willing to help out!

ANOTHER WAY TO CONTRIBUTE:  THE PATRON PROGRAM

Do you value the cultural and educational benefits of theatre arts?  Do you attend shows at the Loft Stage and delight in the students’ hard work, energy, and talent?  Then consider being a Loft Stage patron.

The mission of the Loft Stage Theater Patron Program is to grow and sustain a high quality theater program at East Ridge High School.  Financial support through patronage makes it possible to offer a top-notch theater experience for audiences in the Loft Stage’s state-of-the art setting, while championing theatre arts education and showcasing student talent.  Funds are needed for creating and expanding opportunities for theater students, such as scholarship, student travel, workshops, and student recognition. We support Loft Stage participation in highly regarded theatre programs, including the International Thespian Society; the Hennepin Theatre Trust’s Spotlight program; and Community Outreach initiatives.  We hope to continue these opportunities and extend them to more students at a lower cost.

Support levels:

Friends: $25-$99

Advocates: $100-$249

Donors: $250-$499

Benefactors: $500-$999

Angels: $1000+

All Patrons will be recognized in Theater Playbills going forward from their first time of support.  Support is cumulative from year to year, so Patrons who start at the Friend Level, for example, can change to Advocate level once their total support reaches the $100 mark.  In addition, all patrons at the Benefactor and Angel level will be invited to an end-of-year dinner, our treat, to thank them for their support.

To become a Loft Stage Theater Patron, please contact Todd Thorsen, Treasurer, Loft Stage Boosters at 651-756-8032 or tthorsen@theloftstage.com.