To the editor;
Re: “Coupon books only benefit elite,” Sept. 15, 2011
I would like to respond, as the member of a PAC, and as a parent, to the letter written last week about the Entertainment Books.
I disagree with almost all that the writer said. Our school last year sold 100 books, at which we made $13 per book (out of $46 charged).
It is not a hard fundraiser to do. You send the books home and either the families want them or they don’t. Maybe the parents can sell them at their place of work. All in all, for the money that is made, it is a “simple” fundraiser.
I have been involved in fundraising for the past six years and it is not an easy job. Some things work and some things don’t. Putting together a Bingo night, for example, takes a lot of work and would maybe make a few hundred dollars.
A movie day at the local theatre might bring in $300-$400, but that only happens when an appropriate movie is playing. That is maybe once a year, sometimes twice.
An Entertainment Book fundraiser consistantly brings in just over $1,000 each year. When it is so hard to raise money and so many things the school needs, it is hard to not do it. Yes, there are a lot of Vancouver coupons in the book. But there are a lot more people living in the Vancouver Area than in Langley, Surrey, etc., and there are also a lot more businesses participating in the books as well.
That being said, there are tons of coupons in the book that are meant for Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, etc. And they are not all about restaurants and travel. Maybe the book isn’t for all families, but then those families wouldn’t buy one to begin with. You are able to go through the book to ensure you will use at least some coupons, before you buy one.
Without mentioning specific businesses, I have used grocery coupons, bowling coupons, entertainment coupons, fast food restaurant coupons. I don’t travel and rarely eat in “fancy” restaurants, but still manage to save more than double what I spend on the book. And these coupons I use are in Cloverdale and Langley. And on things I would already be buying.
So, not only do I support my local school by buying a book, I also support the local businesses that choose to put a coupon in the book.
I don’t support the Vancouver merchants because I don’t use their coupons. And if they are really so bad, why are most schools selling them? Because it is a valid fundraiser and PACs make their money where they can. And, like all fundraisers, it is always optional to participate, or not.
Corry Hill
George Greenaway Elementary PAC
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