Green Bay’s Leonardo Da Vinci School Students Raise $21,000 for Habitat for Humanity

Posted on 4-09-2020

The sixth annual PI Day 5K run/walk announced that they raised a total of over $21,000 this year.

Since 2015, a group of fifth grade students from Leonardo Da Vinci School for Gifted Learners teams up together to plan the annual PI Day 5K run/walk event that has now collectively raised over $100,000 since its inaugural race. This year, the planning team had 624 runners registered, sold their goal of 95 hats, and had a record 52 baskets for raffle prizes. All proceeds of the race go to Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity and are used to build a home for a family in Green Bay. 

In celebration, since the students could not gather together in their school gymnasium, the school’s teachers and staff hosted a virtual party with the student planners to unveil the final numbers and grand total raised.

During the virtual party, students, faculty and staff from Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity shared their thoughts.

In an address to the student planners, Green Bay Area Public School District’s Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Langenfeld shared, “What you’re doing today, in these unprecedented times, recognizing that we need to be together and celebrate is altruistic. This is a proud moment for the entire community served; it’s about giving back and it’s about being selfless.”

“As the teacher adviser of this PI Day planning group, it is truly amazing to watch the students work so hard each and every day,” Said Allison Hockers, Physical Education & Health Teacher and PI Day Race Coordinator at Leonardo Da Vinci School for Gifted Learners. “I also know this experience is something they will always remember. I am so proud of this group.”

The students shared their favorite part of the experience that included planning, collecting raffle baskets, seeing their work come together on race day, seeing everyone who participated, and being able to be a part of the community. In a unique gesture due to the public health pandemic, online schooling, and social distancing, the staff got creative in reaching out to the student planners.

As a special thanks, the school staff hand-delivered gift bags to the front porches of the student planners that included a personalized water bottle and mementos to remember their experience and the effort in planning the successful race. 

Cora Haltaufderheid, Executive Director of Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity said, “The need in our community is tremendous. The money that was raised from the race goes to a family that has students that will be attending Green Bay schools.” Haltaufderheid explained that the selection process for future homeowners includes the family’s demonstration for a need for decent housing, the ability to pay, and the willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity and that they look for families that have children who would benefit from attending Green Bay Public Schools. 

The school will collect further information once the public health pandemic subsides so they can calculate actual totals beyond the $21,000. In 2018, the fifth-grade student planners raised $18,230, and an additional $21,693 in 2019 with a collective total of over $104,000 in the last six years. Student planners and school staff who helped plan the race are invited to the Habitat for Humanity home dedication so that the students and families can see first-hand the impact that their teamwork and effort has within the community.

Habitat for Humanity

Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity builds new construction homes in the Green Bay area and sells them to qualified families at no profit. The Habitat program provides benefits to our partner families and the Green Bay community. Families benefit from decent, affordable housing while the community benefits from the redevelopment of neighborhoods and an increase in tax revenue. The Habitat program does not give houses away. Families must spend “sweat equity” hours helping to build their home, pay a $900 down payment and make monthly mortgage payments. Homes are made affordable due to the volunteer labor used to build the home and the 0% interest mortgage provided by Habitat. To see what we’re working on now, check out our Current Builds page!

Habitat homes are build according to these three standard principles:

  1. Simple:
    Habitat houses are modestly-sized. They are large enough for the homeowner family’s needs, but small enough to keep construction and maintenance costs to a minimum.
  2. Decent:
    Habitat for Humanity uses quality, locally-available building materials. Habitat house designs reflect the local climate and culture.
  3. Affordable:
    The labor of volunteers and partner families, efficient building methods, modest house sizes and no-profit loans make it affordable for low-income families to purchase Habitat houses.

The first step in becoming a Habitat homeowner is to attend an informational Application Meeting. At the informational session, you will find out about our program, see what a typical Habitat home looks like, and learn how to accurately complete your application. Applicants and co-applicants must attend a meeting to receive an application; you will have 30 days from that date to turn in your completed application and required documents.  This meeting will take approximately 1 hour.  The application process takes approximately 60-90 days from the date Habitat receives your completed application. If you have additional questions or would like more information, please contact [email protected].

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