May 20, 2013
Dear Community Partners,
On May 7th, the Community Partnership for Collective Achievement (CPCA) hosted the 2nd Annual Good C.A.T.C.H. Community Day at the Reds. This event brought the communities of Forest Park, Greenhills and Springfield Township together at the Great American Ball Park to enjoy an American pastime in support of youth education.
In addition to our supporters last year, Good C.A.T.C.H. 2013 welcomed several new supporters and partners to the 2013 initiative. The United Way’s Success by Six Program, Megen Construction, Marathon Petroleum, Richardson and Associates, Forest Park Chamber of Commerce, Six Acres Bed and Breakfast, WesBanco, Fiesta Insurance, Cincinnati State TRiO Programs and New Orleans to Go all pitched in to help raise funds to support student achievement. Collectively, the partnerships with businesses, municipal governments, school districts, and residents have produced outstanding results. Galvanized by an understanding of the importance of investing in initiatives that shape the educational landscape of our community, Good C.A.T.C.H. sold over 1100 tickets for the 2013 outing; this is up 10% percent versus last year.
As a result of this year’s success, the Good C.A.T.C.H. initiative is now in position to make targeted investments towards scholarships for students to attend the Envision Children Summer Enrichment Program, an eight week academic program that focuses on STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) related curriculum. "Through this endeavor we are able to serve more children and invest in more academic activities that are aligned to the core curriculum standards being implemented by the Ohio Department of Education," said Sheryl Garner, President and CEO of Envision Children. Good C.A.T.C.H. will also provide funding to Youth Motivational Learning Center to support the continuation of tutoring services for students in grades 6-12. "YMLC is staffed by volunteers who understand the importance of the community playing a role in the academic success of its students," said Carolyn Rutland White, President and CEO of YMLC. "The support from Good C.A.T.C.H. will help us provide tutoring services at no cost to their families," she added.
With the addition of the Literacy Network as an academic partner this year, Good C.A.T.C.H. will invest in supporting their efforts in developing programs that promote student learning in the
Winton Woods City School District. "We are excited about the contributions from Good C.A.T.C.H. to support our new partnership with the Literacy Network and look forward to next year’s activities", said Steve Denny, Director of Accountability and Business Affairs, Winton Woods City School District.
Good C.A.T.C.H. 2013 has once again successfully convened our communities to raise funds to support student achievement. These stated outcomes and investments are an example of how our community has responded to budget cuts and declining services to elevate the academic standing of all students.
In closing, the Good CA.T.C.H. Team would like to thank the community for making this event a success. The Reds are excited about working with us again and I hope you will join us next year for Good C.A.T.C.H. 2014 Community Day at the Reds.
Best regards,
Katrina Rugless
Good C.A.T.C.H., Chair
CPCA, President
FOREST PARK ~ GREENHILLS ~ SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP