One Lawrence school is saying "no more" to the venerable fundraising ploy of students hawking chocolate, wrapping paper or knick-knacks.
"I had a problem with my kids going out and selling stuff that I wouldn't buy anyway," said Kim Steichen, vice president of the Prairie Park School's PTA.
Spurred by parental rebellion, Prairie Park School is abandoning its traditional money-making plan and turning to a new scheme: walking for money.
"It's a pretty bold move for the PTA," Principal David Williams said, "but I think it will work out well."
Parents said they hoped the new plan would offer relief from the steep competition presented by other school children peddling goods.
They also are pleased it will spare them cupboards of unwanted sale items and the seemingly unachievable sales goals that could leave children frustrated.
Students couldn't meet the high quotas. And in recent years students never sold enough to win the top prizes, Williams said.
"The kids do really get pumped up for something that's unattainable," PTA President Charlotte Marthaler said.
Prairie Park School PTA president Charlotte Marthaler explains the PTA's new fundraiser to students Friday. Students will no longer be selling candy and other items door to door, but will have a new fundraising run and walk in October.
Lawrence schools have a wide variety of fundraising efforts. Some student groups sell fruit. Some schools sell magazines or host read-a-thons.
"It is a mixed bag," said Julie Nice, an active parent who is a former PTA president and site-council chairwoman for Cordley School. "I think most schools try many things. It depends on what your community is more willing to put money into."
When students do sell goods, many schools encourage kids not to walk door to door for safety reasons, said Julie Boyle, the district's communications director.
In past years, Prairie Park students have sold candles, candy and other wares.
The old fundraisers brought in about $12,000 for field trips and other school perks. But after suppliers were paid off, the school took in only 50 percent of the total students raised, Williams said. With the walk fundraiser, 100 percent of proceeds will go to the school.
When several parents said they wanted a change, the PTA responded. They considered all types of replacement fundraisers. A chili feed. A silent auction. They even explored selling insurance plans protecting the buyer from having to purchase another fundraiser item.
The option they settled on was the fundraising walk. The "Take A Walk in the Park" event is set for Oct. 1. Students will walk two miles in the vicinity of the school.
They will seek sponsors. Every student who gathers $10 to register for the walk will get a free T-shirt. That way, it's easy for students to take home a prize. The goal is to raise $6,000, a conservative aim for the new event, Marthaler said.
Many students said they were grateful for the change.
"It just wasn't that fun really, because you had to walk all around town," 10-year-old Kayla Hicks said. "You had to lug a catalog and a notebook. It was a lot of work."
Not to mention the competition from other student salesmen.
"You kind of had to look cute just to get people to buy them - the puppy dog face," Kayla said.
Comments
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momof3 (anonymous) says…
If you read the article, the children aren't "begging for money". They are walking to benefit their school, to raise money for equipment, etc. Every child will be able to get a prize. And the children will benefit from walking. Maybe the kids will decide to do other walks to benefit others. Maybe they already are doing something to benefit others. The article was only talking about fundraising, and safety of the kids.
Work is not a scary word for tomorrows citizens. Your negativity is.
mefirst (anonymous) says…
How about asking people to donate a dollar for every pound of trash kids pick up around town. I can't believe all the garbage, litter, and trash (mostly fast food packaging) that's surfacing around Lawrence. I stopped dead in the road the other day to pick up trash someone had flung out of their car window. I would happily donate to kids who went around town, picking up garbage, benefitting the community in the process
Ragingbear (anonymous) says…
When I was a kid, we were constantly being used by the schools to sell something or another door-to-door. I hated it. Not only did I not like that type of work, and have better things to do with my time, but I also had issues with the entire tax write off system that businesses got to use. You see, we advertise, we sell, and we deliver thier products. All they pay is the production cost. And since a candy bar that took about 20 cents to make runs about $2.00 now, that leaves them 1.80 profit. About 30% of that actually goes to the schools. The rest goes into the pockets of the company, and they can avoid paying taxes, and even get tax credits toward thier company for the entire scenario.
If a company wants to support a school, then give them the funds, whether in cash or kine, instead of using children to forward thier corperate agenda. All this is teaching kids is that in order to survive in this world is to use everyone you can. That isn't the type of message I think should be portrayed.
Dazie (Aileen Dingus) says…
I wish other schools in the area would follow that lead. I hated fundraisers as a kid, I hate them as a parent. I hate being hit up at work by other parents for their kids' fundraisers. (I won't take my kids' fundraisers to work. If they want to hit up my co-workers, they can bloody well come in and do it themselves)
I'd much rather just give the school $$, cut out the middleman and let's not pretend we really want most of the junk that gets pushed in the fundraising catalogs.
At my son's old school, the PTA had one fundraiser. A "cheap night out" for families. You bought your tickets for I think $5 per person, and that got you all the spaghetti, salad and bread you could eat. The school bands and choirs provided live entertainment, there were games for the little ones and a silent auction that featured donations from local businesses.
Perhaps that's something that would go over well here too?
christie (anonymous) says…
It will be a wonderful day when schools have all the money they need and the Airforce has to hold a bake sale to buy new bombers.
We NEVER buy anything from kids and we never allowed our kids to sell. It's dangerous, and you never know for sure who these door-to-door people are, or who gets the money.
Kookamooka (MJ Browne) says…
What ever happened to good old entreprenuerial ingenuity. Why not open a little store front and the kids could sell hand made arts and crafts items? OH WAIT, maybe that's a little too third world for america.
The kids in India and China sell their products for much less than what we would want for the toil here. Including international shipping and import taxes.
I know those Auctions are a huge moneymaker for the private schools. The local businesses donate products, they get publicity and good PR and the school gets to sell it for 100% profit.
What USD497 needs is a good pyramid scam! Those are great ways to make money!!
I hate to be a harbinger of bad news but... 2005-2006 and beyond...everyday citizens won't be so willing to open their purse strings.
momof3 (anonymous) says…
Macon, many of the kids in the Prairie Park area walk to school. And the walk the PTA is organizing is productive - the kids get to feel they accomplished something for their school, as well as a little exercise. The basic principle is that we don't want the kids to go door to door, and the parents are tired of selling and buying products they don't use that much of. I don't think kids are being taught to "use everyone they can". I think the PTA is on the right track, even if this idea doesn't work out. I wish schools didn't have to fundraise, but they do.
punkrockmom (Nikki May) says…
As a Prairie Park parent, I have to say that I am happy about this change. You are always welcome to make a donation to any or all schools. You don't even need to wait for a child to come "beg" you for it. If these kids made something to sell you, you'd be whining that they were selling you crap and that they should just ask for the money.
Until we can get everything the schools need without asking the community for additional funding, keep enjoying the fundraisers. We thank you for your support.
letsgetwise (anonymous) says…
When we first started at Schwegler, the fundraisers consisted of chili feed, combined with the art fair and the spring carnival. We DID NOT do other sales. Then as the make-up of parents changed in the PTA, the ideas changed. Someone suggested selling wrapping paper, next cookie dough, and now the wrapping paper company includes magazines. I liked the chili feed (which does exist still), and the spring carnival (which still exists), and sometimes there has been a pancake feed. I'm not sure if the costs just went up too much, or someone decided we need more and different things.