In my twenty-three years of serving as the principal of St. Matthew, I believe that the week of September 29, 2019, was one of the most powerful weeks in St. Matthew history as we watched our school community come together in love, concern, and prayer for 5th grader Braedon Breeding.
Starting with the very first Constant Contact that was sent out informing families of the situation and requesting prayer, the St. Matthew "Prayer Army" diligently followed through with their marching orders and attentively began lifting petitions to God on behalf of Braedon. I cannot even begin to describe how endearing it was to experience the frequency of questions regarding the status of Braedon's health, and hearing the follow up statement of, "Our family is praying and will continue to do so." However, one of my sweetest memories will be the day I had the great joy of announcing that Braedon was out of surgery and the doctors were very pleased with how everything transpired. From my office, I could hear the thunderous screams of joy from our students and applause given to God for how He had answered our prayers.
To continue our Christian love and support for this family, on Friday, November 15th, St. Matthew Lutheran School will host our 9th Annual Turkey Trot entitled, "GO GREEN AND RUN FOR BRAEDON". During this event, students will run around our soccer field to raise money for Braedon's family, to assist with medical and incidental expenses that have accumulated as a result of his recent liver transplant.
Pledge sheets were sent home last week, and students are encouraged to seek pledges. If you need a new pledge sheet, please click 
HERE. Donors can sponsor for every lap that a student completes or give a general donation. Students are encouraged to bring their pledge sheets and money in on the actual day of the Turkey Trot. God will bless any amount that your child raises in BIG ways!
In addition, students raising over $50 will receive a free Turkey Trot t-shirt the week after the event. Weeks ago, we submitted a request to use the MSU logo for this fundraiser, and we have been granted approval!! As a result, the logo on the shirt will be the exact logo at the top of this article.
The Turkey Trot will occur on November 15th during the school day; students will run around our soccer field during designated times. Preschool through Grade 4 will run from 9:15 - 10:00 a.m. and Grades 5 - 8 will run from 10:15 - 11:00 a.m. Please wear comfortable clothing/shoes, and dress appropriately for the weather conditions. You can even dress like a turkey!
BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE! In attempts to help motivate the student body and staying with the "GO GREEN" theme, our Student Council has developed a concept that they are calling "It's Slime Time!" As a result, the students that complete the most laps or raise the most funds will have the opportunity to select a Student Council member and "SLIME" him/her during a school assembly!
Let's work together to Let the Whole World and Braedon See the Greatness of Our God!
We look forward to watching God do great things through our efforts!
In Jesus' Love,
Mrs. Palka