COMMUNITY SERVICE

Renae and I have done

Community Service
for American Fork

for the last 15 years!!!

We are in charge of the prize money for the

Steel Days Art Show.
(Steel Days is American Fork's summer celebration.)

Sydney Thomas got us involved.
Our first show was in 1999.

She was the chairman for years!!!  She is still involved.

Here's how the Art Show works.
(Renae and I got them to change the judging from Wednesday
to Tuesday.  This way, we weren't rushed to get it done
on Thursday...in time for the awards assembly.)
First, I went to the library yesterday, where the show is held,
to pick up the judging sheets and money.
Then, I took it to Renae.
She then wrote all winners on a paper, so we didn't
have to keep shuffling through them.
After swimming this morning, I went to Renae's house.

Of course, I had to get my annual picture
of me making a fan with the $100 bills!!! 

Then, I had to take a picture of the difference
between the old $100 bill (top)
and the new one (bottom).
Looks way hard to counterfeit it!!!

  In figuring out prize money, you have to make sure of little things...such as, a preschooler winner will not get the same amount of prize money as a high school student or an adult.  Then, I
figure out how to break down
$1800 into the proper denominations.
$50s, $20s, $10s, $5s, and $1s.
After checking and rechecking...we make our trip
to the true bank...the Bank of American Fork! 
The same teller helps us every year.
I would tell her how much we needed of each
bill, she would get it, and count it out.
But, new this year...she typed in how much we
needed of each denomination in the computer, and
the computer dispensed it!!!
HURRAY FOR TECHNOLOGY!!!

 After the bank, we go out to lunch!
This year, it was Paradise Bakery & Cafe.  

This is what the money looked like after the bank.

Renae's job is the writing.  Anyone that knows Renae, 
knows that she has always had the BEST handwriting...even
in 1st grade!!!

She writes what age group category, art category, 
name, and what place they took.
We have blue envelopes for 1st
pink for 2nd
yellow for 3rd
(And a few calls and texts are made to figure out names that we think are wrong.
This year, they had a last name of Jensensen, and a first name Kendall...that
was really Kimball. )
I stuff the money...checking two times.
Then, we go through names and categories again.
The envelopes are placed in the box.
It is done in a way that at the awards assembly
on Thursday night, it starts with the youngest...and
each art category starts with 3rd place, then 2nd, then 1st.
(Excitement just builds and builds!!!)

Here are the age groups:
Pre-K/Primary/ Intermediate
(Preschool-Kindergarten/1st, 2nd, & 3rd grades/4th, 5th, & 6th grades)
Jr. High/High School
Novice/Experienced/Special Awards
(Out of high school, but not professional/Professional)
Special Awards are:
Adult & Youth "Best of Show"
Adult & Youth "Mayor's Choice"
(Mayor Hadfield chooses these)
Adult & Youth "AF Arts Council" 

I know the "Best of Show" winner this year!
When I was first called to be in the Stake Young Women
in my last stake, his wife was the president. 

New this year, and soooo excited:
The little pile to the left of boxes are the 
"peal envelope strips."
Way better than tucking them in!!!        

 I type up how the money breaks down for
the prizes, then the denomination breakdowns.
I have kept them every year...15 of them!!!

Delivery, and a few explanations to a grateful director, are made.

We used to get little gifts for doing this job...a gift

card to a local restaurant, "Steel Days" tee shirts, etc.

Now, we receive nothing.  So we jokingly call it 

"community service."

It's always great to give back to this wonderful community of

American Fork!

I have lived here since the age 6! 

Renae was born here!!!