Where the money goes

Fiesta Oyster Bake

Economic impact to St. Mary's University
and the San Antonio Community

The Fiesta Oyster Bake Committee and the St. Mary's University Alumni Association thank the 7,000 volunteers for their 50,000 volunteer hours and the 60,000+ patrons who helped make the 2009 Fiesta Oyster Bake a great success. This year, our net profit was nearly $462,000 (due to rain on Friday) or 23% of our total gross.

Although Fiesta Oyster Bake is a great party during San Antonio's Fiesta Week, our mission is to be successful in raising funds for St. Mary's University student scholarships and university and alumni programs.

The following information is a highlight as to where the money goes from this event. As you can see, the Fiesta Oyster Bake provides a great economic boost to St. Mary's University and the San Antonio community.

Putting Oyster Bake Funds to Work
$6 Million Scholarship Endowment Fund

This fund provided full or partial scholarships to more than 70 St. Mary's University students this year. http://www.stmarytx.edu

$3.1 Million Gift to the Athletics Convocation Center

The Alumni Association has made a multi-year pledge for this project, and it is the lead gift in this fundraising campaign. This state of the art facility features workout facilities, an indoor swimming pool, racquetball courts, multiple basketball courts, 3,500 seat arena and etc.. It will also give the university the opportunity to offer concerts, plays, speakers, etc. for the St. Mary's University students and alumni, as well as the San Antonio community.

Alumni Association Operating Budget

To maintain the mission of providing programs to our alumni, of which there are more than 14,000 in the San Antonio area, this money is used for some of the following activities:

• Coordinate Homecoming Weekend activities
• Produce an award-winning, quarterly newsletter
• Implement an on-line professional networking program
• Develop student and alumni programs
• Host receptions for our alumni and potential St. Mary's students and their parents in areas outside of San Antonio, including Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, El Paso, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., and Chicago/Great Lakes area
• Sponsor and Produce Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner and Faculty Appreciation and Awards Dinner

http://www.stmarytx.edu/alumni/

Supplemental Income (Physical Plant, Students, Security)

The Fiesta Oyster Bake provides supplemental income for St. Mary's University students, in addition employees of the Physical Plant Department and Campus Police Department. This supplemental income enables students and staff to better support themselves and their families.

Alumni Chapter and Affiliate Groups

Our alumni chapters from cities outside of San Antonio and Texas as well as our affiliate groups, Athletics Booster Club and Law Alumni Association, operate booths at the event. They receive a portion of the proceeds from their respective booths so they can develop and implement programs for St. Mary's alumni and students from their areas. http://www.stmarytx.edu/alumni/

St. Mary's University Student Organizations

Besides the alumni booths, we give as many as 30 St. Mary's University student groups the opportunity to operate various booths at the event. They are required to submit proposals for the opportunity to operate a booth. This provides them a "real world" example of how to develop a complete business plan. They receive a portion of the proceeds from their respective booths, and they use the money to help fund speakers, send students to conferences or give back to a special community service cause. Over the last 15 years, the Fiesta Oyster Bake has helped St. Mary's student groups raise more than $750,000.  http://www.stmarytx.edu/studorgs/

St. Mary's University Schools

Based on the success of the Fiesta Oyster Bake, the alumni association gave each St. Mary's University school, Business, Graduate, Humanities, Law and Science and Engineering, $4,000 to be used for special Homecoming Weekend Reunion programs, faculty conferences, equipment upgrades, etc. http://www.stmarytx.edu/academics.php

Capital Improvements

Each year, the St. Mary's Alumni Association gives back to the university in the form of capital improvements to various campus facilities, including the Alumni Pavilion in the historic Pecan Grove. http://www.stmarytx.edu/map/

Reserve

To be fiscally responsible, it is important for the alumni association to keep some money in reserve so that in case of a rain out, we have the funds needed to conduct the annual operations of the alumni association.

VIP Packages (Community Involvement)

The Fiesta Oyster Bake is committed to the various programs in and around the San Antonio community. We donate hundreds of dollars each year in the form of VIP ticket and merchandise packages to many charitable organizations.