When we were approached to co-chair the Parent Appeal of the VTT Campus Campaign, we both hesitated. Not because we didn't believe in the cause - we do, wholeheartedly, and have already made our commitments. And not because we were afraid of the workload. (It's a lot!) It was because we know how hard raising funds can be, and how difficult it is to ask for money.

As parents of current and past VTT students, like you, we see daily why we need an expanded and revitalized VTT. We see our children crammed in hallways, gulping down lunch in 20 minute intervals, issues needing to be addressed on the playground and much more. We also see the incredible sense of community that makes VTT so unique. We see the commitment, dedication and passion of the faculty and staff who work to deliver a quality education, while facing such challenges from an old building. We see how VTT shapes the lives of our children, for the better. We see how much better it will be in the future when the new campus is completed.

It is why we took on these roles. We all inherited this school. We did not have to build it. Our grandparents, our parents and members of our community did. They believed, like we do, that Jewish education is fundamental to strong, vibrant communities, and strong, proud, caring individuals.

We know all of you feel the same way. It is why we are asking you to step up and support the VTT Campus Campaign. We are asking you to help us build on the foundation of those that came before.

When we launched the Parent Appeal in December, we announced a goal of 100% participation. We are still aiming for that. Every single gift to this campaign matters, and while we hope that every family will make a significant gift, we are asking all families to make a gift. Every dollar gets us closer to our goal of $20 million and the higher our participation numbers, the more we can leverage our commitments to secure support from the broader community.

Time is of the essence. The campaign needs to raise the majority of funds by April 30, 2013 in order to break ground in June of 2014. If we don't get there by this April, we will lose an entire year of construction and costs will increase.

Right now, we are in the process of reaching out to every VTT family. We have 50 volunteers who are giving their time to make these calls, and often, they are dreading making these calls more than you are dreading receiving them! These are fellow parents, giving their time because of their belief in Talmud Torah and the VTT Campus Campaign. We ask you to not only be kind to them, but please return their calls.

Our goal is 100%. We have achieved 27%. Every gift matters. Please return your canvasser's calls or contact the Development Office to make your gift directly.  

We thank those families who have already made their gifts. We've come a long way already, and together we can do this. Please join our team! 

Thank you for your support,

Lisa Boroditsky & Stacey Kape

Co-Chairs

Parent Appeal, VTT Campus Campaign