Destination Imagination is what's known as a process program. The main objective is not to win, necessarily, it's about the process and the journey. And what a journey it's been. Immediately after state, our journey to globals began with the discovery that 20 rolls of our specialty duct tape had gone missing. Challenge number one, with limited funds, was how to replace our much-needed tape. Fortunately, Michael's in Woodbury was willing to give us duct tape at cost, and several 3M connections came through to save the day with donations.
Next up was the massive undertaking of how to raise $11,000 in just over three weeks. At the beginning of the DI season, there are over 16,000 teams competing to advance to globals. Just over 5 percent of teams actually make it all the way, so chances are pretty slim that a team will move on. With the daunting fundraising task ahead of us, it was very disheartening to get two rejections from major funding sources. Instead of the relief of having financial support, we learned that we now had to forge ahead with plans B,C,D, and E. Good thing we're a creative problem-solving team.
DImes for DI was first out of the chute. Thanks, fellow LNFIers, for offering your spare change. A few coins here, a few coins there, made a huge difference. Parent, Craig Schultz, came up with the brilliant idea to bake bread and sell it at parent pick-up Wednesdays after school. With the help of Ann Malm (female chaperone extraordinaire) taking orders, Rebecca Foss as a helper, and the DI sisters Karina, Loretta, and Olivia, this was a very successful fundraiser for us. Merci! How he mixed dough and baked 100 loaves of bread a day, I will never know. The auction - thanks for stopping by our booth and listening to our story. You gave very generously that night. A last-minute money-making opportunity was the Davanni's night. On short notice, many of you showed up to support our team. What a great turnout.
Finally, there was our appeal for direct donations. Our friends and families really stepped up. In addition, we had some corporate sponsorships through Ecolab and Deluxe. That was a HUGE help. We also cannot forget the one person who anonymously gave $2,000. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our little team of creative problem-solvers managed to raise all funds needed in just over 3 weeks. It would have been nice to be able to properly prepare the team for the globals experience instead of raising funds 24/7, but again, it's all part of the process and we learned a lot.
The bus journey to Tennessee began in Woodbury, where Dr. Lawson, our biggest cheerleader, came to see us off. Her help and guidance were unparalleled in navigating the school's and the district's policies. With her trusty sidekick, Kris Blomgren's help, the paperwork and formality side of things went very smoothly. We boarded the bus and met our bus mates from Cloquet, Proctor, and Hermantown. They quickly became our new friends and we supported each other at our performances.
Teamwork - another important componant of DI - was all around us. Whether it was helping each other carry luggage and props, looking together for lost items, or caring for a team member who was feeing under the weather, we stuck together. With either our red berets or our black and gold Napoleon hats and our matching t-shirts for every day of the week, people knew our team was coming and often stopped to watch us walk by. Many asked where we were from and the kids always proudly answered L'Etoile du Nord French Immersion in St. Paul, MN.
Our performance, the reason we were at globals (or was it?) went extremely well. Of any performance we saw, our kids out-performed any other team. Our vocal projection in the cavernous field house was far superior to any other team. Some teams traveled from around the world and you couldn't hear a word they said. Not so with us, we were loud and clear. The appraisers marveled at our golf ball delivery device, our crocheted items, and the way we integrated themes into our story. The one area where we could have improved was the weight held ratio of our structure, which is where you get the most points, However, I'd much rather be known as an extremely well-rounded team than a one-trick pony. Had we had more time to focus on globals preparation, I'm confident we could have significantly improved the ratio, however, it's all part of the learning process.
As I write this on the bus back to Minnesota, I can't help but think what a wonderful experience this has been for the kids. They have learned and experienced so much thanks to your generosity. I hope you have enjoyed following our exploits via the BogeyBanditBlog managed by Craig Rot, who has been indispensable through this whole ride. I'd also be remiss if I did not mention Madame Tran's calming/gentle influence on the group. And who knew she was so funny?
Lastly, we tried to deliver hand-written thanks yous to everyone who supported us. If, for some reason, we overlooked you, we sincerely apologize. We tried our best to note everyone's names and addresses, but we may have missed a few of you in the craziness of the past month. Please know that we truly appreciate everything you have given, whether you bought bread, donated dimes, purchased pizza or just gave from your hearts. We couldn't have gone through this process and on this journey without you.
Jane and the Bogey Bandits
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