Community residents form P.A.S.S to raise funds for school
COSHOCTON – When a group of friends got together over dinner last winter after a recent school shooting, they decided to form a new group to help raise money for security purposes at Coshocton High School. Parent Association for Safer Schools (P.A.S.S.) has a goal to raise money for new security cameras to be installed in Coshocton High School.
That project will be about $40,000. P.A.S.S. hopes to raise enough money to install 80 security cameras inside and outside of the high school. They are currently doing fundraising to help meet their goal of $100,000 for potential projects in the community.
“Our goal is to raise as much money as we can,” said Bill Potter, a member of the group. “We talked with Grant [Fauver, principal of the high school] and they’re doing a lot already, but we wanted to do something that was not on his agenda.”
According to Fauver, the school is currently working on renovating the main office wing to control and limit access to visitors and the public during school hours. They are also upgrading 15 or 16 of the 24 entrances and exits in the school building. Many of those doors have glass and high visibility. The new doors will be metal, have less glass, and less visibility.
“I think it’s great,” said Fauver about P.A.S.S. “They approached me late February, early March and said, what can we do, how can we help?”
Fauver and the school board presented them with a list of items the school needs to tighten security in the building. The group chose to upgrade security cameras.
“It was a priority,” said Fauver. “But it wasn’t as important as what we are doing with the doors. Bill and his group are doing a fantastic job. The community as a whole has always supported our district and this is another example of that.”
The P.A.S.S. group consists of Potter, Kirby Hasseman, Jim Brown, and Matt Miller. As a fundraiser, they are selling raffle tickets for a 55 inch smart TV. The TV was won by Amy Hasseman on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“Amy is paying it forward to let us raffle it off to raise money for this cause,” said Potter.
Raffle tickets are one for $5, three for $10, and eight for $20. Tickets are available at Fischer Decorating and Hasseman Marketing.
“We are not doing this because we don’t think the school is doing enough,” said Potter. “This summer, they are doing a lot up there [at the high school]. We are working with the school. We didn’t tell them they should do this. We’re just here to raise the funds for the stuff they feel like they already need. We think the school is doing a fantastic job, but there can always be more. The only thing standing in the way is finances. There is nothing more important than the safety of our children.”
Potter said the cameras are just part of what the group eventually wants to accomplish.
“Cameras are just the starting point,” said Potter. “It’s something to have a focus on. If we raise more money and we can do more things, that would be fantastic.”
Though they will accept a donation of any amount, donations levels have been created for recognition through a plaque that will be placed in the high school. Those levels are: Contributor: $500; Sponsor: $1,000; Benefactor, $2,500; Guardian, $5,000; Protector: $10,000; and Angel, $25,000. All donations will be tax-deductible. For those wishing to donate, make checks payable to Coshocton Business Development Foundation, or CBDF, and mail to PASS at PO Box 683, Coshocton.
“If the response is extraordinary, we would be willing to make this an annual fundraiser and form a foundation where local schools can come to us with their needs and we can help all county schools,” said Potter.
The group also has a GoFundMe account. They also have a Facebook page and can be found by searching PASS Parent Association for Safer Schools. A link to their GoFundMe page is on Facebook.
Category: Clubs & Organizations
