Elementary School Makes ‘Yearbooks For Everyone’ a Reality
SANTA ROSA, CA
Binkley Elementary Charter School of Santa Rosa, CA is not letting the pandemic stop them from giving everyone at the school a yearbook this year.
The Binkley Elementary Boosters teamed up with Picaboo Yearbooks for the 2019-2020 school year to make vision, of getting a yearbook into the hands of every student, a reality.
Jaima Finn, a Binkley parent and vice president of the boosters board, was eager to help every student get a yearbook.
“I was so excited for [my son] to get his first yearbook, but it was so sad to me that not everyone got one,” said Finn, who has also been a sales representative for Picaboo Yearbooks since 2012. “I think only a handful of his classmates got one.”
Binkley collected yearbook orders using Picaboo Yearbooks’ online store. They added a small markup to the price in order to raise money for students who could not afford one. The school had raised $300 by spring break, but was still short of its goal.
Like so many schools, Binkley closed after spring break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the boosters worried additional closures would affect their ability to raise money.
“We were afraid it might not be possible with so many businesses closed and end-of-year fundraising events cancelled with shelter-in-place,” Finn explained. “We felt the yearbook was especially important with all the missed classroom time.”
Finn and her son got creative to spread the word, sharing a video on the Binkley Boosters Facebook page. The school community rallied together and soon reached their goal.
“I was amazed at the generosity from friends and family of Binkley and local businesses answering the call for support from our Boosters Facebook page,” enthused Finn. “In a few short weeks, we got everything we needed.”
There were 400 Binkley yearbooks ordered, 295 of which were paid for through fundraising and donations. Finn wanted to show her enthusiasm for the Binkley community’s generosity and donated 20 more yearbooks so each teacher could also have a copy.
If you are a school who shares Binkley’s passion to have a yearbook for everyone, or know a school that doesn’t have any yearbooks due to financial strain, then we want to help.