harbinger
issue 6 / november 14, 2005 / 7500 mission road prairie village, kansas
super
slingers
teachers serve food to raise money for PTA
story by michelle sprehe
W
ith all the assignments, due dates and projects that teachers demand students serve them, wouldn’t it be nice to have the teachers serve the students? With smiles on their faces and hopes of tips, East teachers will be bringing out frozen custard and hot ButterBurgers tomorrow between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Culver’s on 79th and State Line during Culver’s 10 percent night. During that time, 10 percent of all money made will go to the PTA Fund to help pay for after prom and after graduation. From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., the band, Stop Time, made up of East students, will also be performing at Culver’s. “In the past, we’ve had a band from Leawood Middle School play outside on the patio during their 10% Night, and people loved it,” Culver’s co-owner, Lynn Clause said. “Whenever we have a 10% Night, it’s so high-energy, and a live band just adds to the fun.” There will be teachers from almost every department serving at Culver’s. Not only will they bring out the food, but they also may even get to make some ice cream. “Hopefully seeing their teachers bring out their food will motivate students to come,” StuCo co-sponsor, Brenda Fishman said. “I think there may be a fight between the teachers over who gets to make ice cream.” Math teacher Rick Royer is planning on serving, because he knows how much the PTA supports the school, so he wants to give back and support them. “It’ll be exciting to see some of my students there,” Royer said. “But I’m not really going to add up everyone’s bill without a calculator like the announcement said. I don’t think Culver’s would trust me.” For the past few years, the East PTA has received almost $10,000 from Price Chopper and Hen House to help support the after prom and after graduation parties. Last year, there was such a high demand that the stores decided to end the program, causing the PTA to find new ways to raise money this year. “The Culver’s Night will be a good way to not only bring students together, but teachers as well,” Fishman said. “There are teachers who have been at East for years and some new
teachers that are volunteering. It will be a great way for them to get to know each other and for students to hang out and have a fun time.” Any non-profit organization, such as schools and churches, can participate in Culver’s 10% Nights. In the winter and spring, Culver’s hosts usually around four nights a month. Sometimes, they have two discount nights a week. If the 10% Night goes well for East, they are considering another night sometime in March. “It’s always so much fun and proves to be successful,” Clause said. “The most a school has ever made at our store on a 10% Night is $625." Six hundred and twenty-five dollars may not seem like too much, but restaurants only get about 25 to 30 percent profit each Night, so Culver’s is giving East about a third of whatever they make. Patty Hilderbrand, coordinator from the Foundation of Inclusive Religious Education (F.I.R.E.) has experienced a 10% Night three times. “It’s always a raving success,” Hilderbrand said. “We had the largest one-hour sale since the opening of Culver’s. A total of 350 families came during the three-hour period that we were there.” Because high school students can drive themselves to Culver’s, East is expected to make more money and have a better turn out than the elementary schools have. “Usually on a 10% Night the lines are out the doors,” Culver’s employee and senior Kyle Hergenrader said. “We have the same amount of people working that we would on any other night, but it’s all chaos.” Though there may be large crowds, students are still encouraged to go and have a good time. “The more people we get to go, the more money we can get, and the better the after prom and graduation parties will be,” after graduation chairperson, Peggy Miller said. “If you’re hungry, you might as well come and support the school while you satisfy your hunger.”