Sunday, February 1, 2009

What's It Gonna Cost?

One of the first questions we've been asked is how much is the registration for the reunion going to be? While we do not have exact numbers, and likely won't for several months, we do want to give everyone a ballpark figure so that they can begin saving. We've determined that the most equitable way to spread the costs and encourage participation is to charge by families, not by individuals. A family is defined as parents and their non-married children. So registration fees depend on a couple of factors.

First, the final cost will depend on the number of families that attend - the more that register, the lower the cost for everyone involved. This gives us all another reason to motivate those who may be on the fence about participating.

Second, the finalized agenda of activities, meals, and souvenirs for the three-day event is unknown right now. With the event still 16 months out, prices for rentals and food are not yet set.

We are making every effort to keep the costs down and hope to make this as affordable as possible. The selection of Campus Grove offers a central location for most everyone, and a facility with accommodations for the entire group. This alone will greatly keep costs down for everyone, particularly when compared to other reunion sites available.

We anticipate registration to be between $250.00 and $300.00 per family. Each family will have to determine their travel costs separately. If your family starts this March, saving or putting away $21.50 a month, it will add up to $300 by April 15, 2010 – the date registration will be due.

Get your kids involved early on and schedule family activities that support preparing for the family reunion. Have a “family reunion garage sale” or lemonade stand in the summer. Perhaps even sell a few things on eBay. Take the family over to a neighbor's house for some yard work with all the proceeds going to the reunion fund. Maybe host a car wash one Saturday. There are a lot of ideas and a lot of time to help get financially ready for the reunion, so all you have to think about is having a good time with your relatives!