6 minute read
FWCD Launches Forward Together Comprehensive Campaign
Fort Worth Country Day kicked off its Forward Together Comprehensive Campaign in spectacular fashion on Friday, October 6. The celebratory event featured a lively atmosphere, incredible music from Falcon 6-0, and a significant announcement: an impressive $31,250,000 had already been raised.
More than 200 members of the FWCD community gathered in Falcon Alley for the momentous occasion. The night was filled with the energetic tunes of Falcon 6-0, featuring vocals by Breakthrough Fort Worth Executive Director Joe Breedlove ’78, saxophone artistry from Upper School French Teacher Andréanne Annis, and versatile guitar playing from the talented Dave Lincoln. The crowd danced to the beats of Celebration and Ride Sally Ride while kids enjoyed facepainting, balloon art, and various games. Parents seized the opportunity to catch up in the cool autumn weather, savoring treats from The Egg Stand food truck and indulging in ice cream sandwiches from Pokey-O’s.
Brian Crumley ’92, President of the Board of Trustees, set the tone for the evening. “We are celebrating our 60th year. We are about to begin construction on a new Lower School a year after we completed these beautiful fields,” Crumley said, in reference to the new state-of-the-art field hockey field, the turfed Howard Family Field in Rosacker Stadium, and the cutting-edge resurfaced Barrett Havran Track. “And we are working to refresh the strategic plan to provide a compass for the School for the next several years.”
The Forward Together Comprehensive Campaign Steering Committee received heartfelt appreciation from Crumley. Acknowledging their pivotal role, Crumley thanked William Butler ’96, Gloria Moncrief Holmsten ’00, Heather and Ryan Senter, Randy Eisenman ’93, Rob Semple ’95, Gantt Bumstead, Stephen Luskey ’01, Helen and Michael Todora, and Bryan King.
“Our deepest appreciation goes to our donors,” Crumley continued. “Your support has really made a lasting impact on this school, and your generosity allows us to stand here today. We are grateful for the inspiration you are going to provide as we move forward.”
“This is already the largest campaign in the School’s history, and we aren’t done yet,” he said. “The School’s 2018 strategic plan and facilities master plan provided the road map to get us here, to this point.”
Those plans helped to determine the campaign priorities, which include the completed athletic fields, an increased endowment, a new Lower School, and The FWCD Fund. Butler also expressed the campaign's importance for the School's future development and improvement.
“As we start our next 60 years, the successful completion of this campaign will allow us to further develop our people and programs and enhance and improve our teaching spaces, specifically with our Lower School,” Butler said.
To date, 100 parents, many of whom are alumni, and 70 faculty and staff members have given to the campaign.
Head of School Eric Lombardi echoed the excitement, emphasizing the campaign’s role in enhancing teaching spaces and programs. “Those Temporary Village buildings are the visible part of the campaign. The not-so-visible parts include raising money for the endowment; $8 million is our goal, and continuing to raise money for The FWCD Fund,” Lombardi said. “The Fund is important each year … it is a differencemaker, a margin-maker for us.”
Forward Together Constituency Co-Chairs Heather and Ryan Senter announced that the School had achieved 80% of its fundraising goal. “This day has been four years in the making,” Heather said. “We encourage y’all to join us. We have been part of this community for 15 years, and we knew from the start that we were in the right place. We are here to help us get to that finish line.”
Ryan added the importance of stewardship. “Something unique is happening at Fort Worth Country Day right now. We are here because of others, and now we have the opportunity to build something better than we received,” he said. “We have the opportunity to dig deeper and continue that.”
The highlight of the evening came when nine students revealed the campaign's total amount raised in a fun countdown accompanied by confetti cannons. Walker Luskey '30, Lyle Luskey (former Falcon), Monty Holmsten ’30, Kit Holmsten ’32, Gunni Holmsten ’34, Sarah Mitchell McMillan ’29, William McMillan ’34, Mary Blake McMillan (future Falcon) and Bradleigh Bowman ’29 revealed the number from right to left, $31,250,000. The excitement continued as attention shifted to Rosacker Stadium, where fans witnessed skydivers from the All Veteran Group, piloted by William Runyon ’80, landing on Howard Family Field and cheered on the varsity football team as the players and coaches walked through a tunnel of Lower School students, high-fiving and cheering.
Jack Carvalho ’17 added to the energy, engaging the crowd with campaign trivia and interviews during the game. Various speakers, including faculty and staff, shared their excitement for the future Lower School building. Coleman Anderson ’33, Third Grade Teacher Katy Thompson Hobbs ’97, Head of Lower School Trey Blair, Lower School Librarian Tammy Wolford, then Assistant Head of Lower School Kelly Lanier Tierce ’93, Fourth Grade Teacher Sara McCullough, Fourth Grade Teacher/Varsity Cheer Coach Courtney Corbeille Krauss ’06, and William Butler ’96 all spoke with Carvalho about different aspects of the Lower School. They touched on their favorite rooms, the Temporary Village, the Lower School Library, beloved traditions, and excitement for the future.
The evening embodied the spirit of FWCD, characterized by community strength and collaboration. As Crumley shared at the start of the event, “The Forward Together campaign shows the strength in what you can accomplish when you work together. In the spirit of Margaret Mead, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world.’”
For more details on the Forward Together Comprehensive Campaign, visit fwcd.org/campaign. If you have questions or need assistance making a gift, contact Sandra Tuomey, Director of Advancement, at sandra.tuomey@fwcd.com.
