Fundraisers at Juan Diego Catholic High School seem to do the trick supporting the clubs and sports teams at the school. Not only are the fundraisers earning money, but also they are giving students the opportunity to represent Juan Diego in the larger community.  But raising money can require a major effort from students.

JD Spanish Club members have been putting a lot of time and work into their upcoming project.  They are making pinatas and will let students take a swing at them for just fifty cents. They have been planning this fundraiser since their third meeting in October.  

Club members have been making the piñatas since October, They cut newspapers into strips and dipped each strip into a mixture of flour and water to create the papier mache, then stuffed the pinatas with candy.  Now that the piñatas are finished, the club plans to set them up in the cafeteria sometime after Monday, February 21^st.  The proceeds will go towards the club’s future service projects.

Boys and girls soccer teams have successfully raised money to support their needs, which primarily include equipment and uniforms. Last year, the boys raised one thousand dollars by selling snacks and candy at the concessions stands during soccer games, as well as by selling JD scarves and old equipment they don't use anymore.  JD soccer coach Scott Platz said, “It does the trick.”

  Oranges are a new fun way to raise money for any club or sport this year. Any team or club could sell a case of 88 oranges. It has been a popular deal because each individual orange costs just 30 cents and the case runs a total of 27 dollars. For every case sold, eleven dollars are given to the club or team that sold it. 

The fresh oranges come straight from California, according to JD's Special Events Coordinator Lynelle Williams. “It’s an easy way to make money,” she said.   She set this project up to help members of clubs and sports teams creatively earn money.  

The music department had its own creative way to get the JD arts out into the community and raise some funds for an upcoming tour to San Fransisco. They went to the Draper IKEA store on Saturday, January 29^th to perform a music marathon for eight straight hours. This was a way for students to get pledges on eight hours of music. 

According to Juan Diego’s choir director, Dr. Brian Manternach, the marathon was successful and “eight hours of good quality.”  There was great energy coming from the various music groups and soloists. Last year the musicians played their marathon in the auditorium at Juan Diego, but because it was not advertised much the turnout was not what they hoped.  This year at IKEA, many people from within the Skaggs Catholic Center and the larger community saw the performance.   "There were positive comments from the people who walked by," Manternach said.  The music department had no problem filling out the eight-hour time slot.  

Those who participated say this was a great way to represent Juan Diego.  "There was a lot of attention in the Draper area," Manternach said.  He also noted that it was a very good way to publicize the performing arts at Juan Diego.