About Us | Saydel Alumni Association

Mission Statement

The Saydel Alumni Association is dedicated to inspiring and connecting our community by building Saydel pride, impacting the future, and leaving a lasting legacy through engagement and support.

Back to Home

Getting Started

The Saydel Alumni Association was established in July of 2024. A group of Saydel Alumni gathered together at Saydel High School and shared a vision. They began meeting once a month and soon elected officers and a Board of Directors.

Officers:
President - Wes VerWoert
Vice-President - Linda Cummings
Secretary - Frankie DeMouth
Treasurer - Tamee Holzhauser

Board of Directors:
Cathy Bannick, Cathy Carmichael, Marisa Vitiritto Hartung, William Crosby

We developed our mission statement and filed for non-profit status with the help of Alumni, Nick Roby. Our first donation, to help with the cost of our filing for non-profit status and to give us seed money, was donated by Alumni, Pat DeMouth.

Building Membership

In August 2024, we held a 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s reunion and began building our membership. We had about 110 people attend the reunion and ended the night with approximately 60 paid members.

The Association began meeting over Zoom once a month. Our first goal was to spread the word and build our membership. We began a membership drive through social media, Facebook, emails, and tables at Saydel High School events.

We started a contest for the class that could enroll the most members, and the winning class would be announced at the reunion. The Class of 1976 was the winner with 29 members. Members were added to the List Serv and received the Communicator from Saydel Schools as well as monthly information from the Association. Our goal was 200 members, and we surpassed that goal by reaching 250 by the end of January.

Reaching Out to Saydel Schools

We reached out to the principals at all three buildings and asked for a list of needs and wants. While our funds were limited, we were eager to help where we could.

Purchased a case of Kleenex for each building and delivered those to each school.
Partnered with Hy-Vee and provided donuts for teachers during morning meetings.
Provided funding for each building to provide treats during one day of conference week.
Sponsored two students by paying for their cap and gown for graduation.

Inclusive Playground Initiative

Cornell Elementary identified a need for a more inclusive playground. The Saydel Alumni Association researched inclusive playground options, built a plan, and developed a budget.

Project Status: Fully Funded. Thanks to the support of alumni, community partners, and donors, the Inclusive Playground project has been fully funded. Construction updates and photos will be shared as the project progresses.

View Playground Project