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Top fundraising class reaps its reward
Maksym Stronskyy tosses a whipped cream pie plate at Giles Principal Kerry Leiby. | Jerry Daliege~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: June 11, 2012 8:21AM
The James Giles Elementary School auditorium was filled with excitement and clamor on the afternoon of April 30, as students waited to see their principal, Kerry Leiby, get hit with whipped cream pies.
The assembly was a celebration of the funds raised last February, when the Norridge school held a contest of which class could sell the most pies for Market Day, a grocery program that raises funds for schools and other organizations.
Eileen Hoban’s second-grade students sold the most pies. In order for the whole class to celebrate, each student got their own chance at throwing a pie at Leiby.
“The kids really liked it and I think it really motivated them,” said Christine Blevins, president of the Students, Teachers and Parents group at Giles. “They got a kick out of it.”
While some managed to hit Leiby square in the face, others hit him in the shoulders. Students from the other classes watched and erupted in laughter every time their principal took another pie in the face. Leiby wore a garbage bag to protect his clothes.
“It was refreshing,” Leiby said of getting hit with the pies. “Very sticky, though.”
Shannon Straughn, vice president of Students, Parents and Teachers at Giles, explained that the school gets a percentage of the sales from the pies and other Market Day groceries. All kinds of food, including meats, produce and frozen foods can be purchased through Market Day and delivered to the school for pick-up.
“It’s high quality and also there’s a convenience factor,” said Straughn.
Market Day offers several promotions throughout the year. The promotion for February was pie month. Straughn said the school decided on the pie throwing as an incentive to sell pies.
“That was the motivator to get parents to buy more pies,” she said.
Blevins said that in an average month, the school sells about three or four pies for Market Day. In February, because of the contest, they sold more than 30.
“It was everything from French silk to lemon pie to cheesecake,” said Blevins. “Probably the thing we sold the most was the French silk.”
Blevins explained that families order for Market Day either with a flier or an online form. The food is delivered to the school on a designated day and time.
“You place the order and the truck brings the food and we sort it out for the families,” she said.
Blevins said students raised about $250 in February.
