Providing for your school's future today

All Saints School, Antigo, has chosen the celebration of Catholic Schools Week to announce the foundation of the All Saints Catholic School Fund.

Parishioners of St. Hyacinth, St. John, St. Mary, and St. Wencel parishes are committed to providing outstanding Catholic education to the youth. The consolidation of Antigo's grade schools in 1998 was an important step in ensuring the continued excellence in Catholic education.

The purpose of the All Saints Catholic School Fund is to generate financial resources to assist the school in financial obligations through other means than strictly the use of tuition and parish assessment. The ASCS Fund is a tax-exempt fund to further the education of children in the Antigo area. It is a part of the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Green Bay, established by Bp. Robert Banks and governed by a board of community and church leaders.

The ASCS Fund serves a pilot effort for the Diocese of Green Bay, said Cindi Brawner, diocesan director of Stewardship and Development.

"We are offering to them service of management and marketing," she said. "It is helpful to us to see if we can accommodate other schools."

Contributors to the ASCS Fund may choose from a variety of gift giving forms. Participants may donate through a pledge of cash, stocks, bonds and mutual funds, life insurance, memorial gifts, wills and charitable bequests, business gifts, real estate and personal property, and living trusts and special needs trusts.

Contributors may also specify the use of gifts. Gifts may be used for permanent endowment- where it becomes a perpetual source of income year after year. A portion of the interest income and earnings will be used each year for greatest needs. Gifts may also be designated directly for areas of greatest need, those current projects with the highest priority such as improving teacher salaries and benefits, student financial aid, technology and playground equipment.

Members of the ASCS Fund Committee are Brian Prunty, chair, Dan Kretz, Paul Payant, Laurel Bradley, Dan Husnick and Sr. Carol Jean Zais. The Fund Drive appeal will kick off in early March.

For more information, call (715)623-5629, or write to: All Saints Catholic School Fund, 723 Deleglise Street, Antigo, WI 54409.