PIRATE PRESS March 2024 2024 Month
Vol. Issue ?4 Vol.10, ?, Issue
Chuck-a-Duck Fundraiser Senior Ava Laury
Many students throughout the school have expressed their desire to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as possible. At Earth Club, they have the opportunity to begin this mission with the introduction of an initiative that began in the early winter last year. This new project is the revitalization of the courtyard. The members of the club have been working to choose new plants for students to tend to, hoping to keep the project alive for many years. This will give current and future students a new way to build a close community and show their school spirit by becoming an active part of the school’s improvement. Many students and staff see promise within the plans for this endeavor; this includes adviser Jessica Overocker who said, “While it is still early on in the project, I am very excited for [Earth Club] to make more progress. The fact that we will have to get rid of some of the plants makes me sad, but I am so glad that we will be able to participate in the improvement of them.” In order for this proposal to be successful, many students have taken initiative and have planned to set up multiple fundraisers to ensure that the club maintains a substantial amount of financial support to allow them to choose the best possible plants for the courtyard. The first fundraiser took the form of the Earth Club’s regular Chuck-a-Duck event that is held annually at a home basketball game. Many of the club’s members gathered in Kingman Lobby after school on Feb. 6 to aid in the fundraiser’s setup and stayed to help sell rubber ducks, which were sold at a rate of one for $2 or three for $5, for attendees to throw at a target at halftime. The person whose duck was closest to the center of the target received a cash prize, with Earth Club gaining a profit to help with future expenses as well. The event was deemed a success, with the club receiving a total of $150. Earth Club’s Vice President senior Bianca O’Shea found promise in the fundraiser, stating, “I’d say [the fundraiser] went extremely well. It was really sweet seeing a kid win the other half of the pot and the money we raised is a good start for building up the courtyard to be more beautiful than ever.” The club also hopes to find success in its flower sale, in which they sold daffodil, tulip and hyacinth bulbs for $20 each. The profits will also help fund the plants the students choose for the courtyard. The next task the club wishes to take on is the collection of seeds to germinate, with the hopes of planting new trees by the spring. Science teacher John Atchley has aided in this process as well, commenting, “I consider the courtyard to be a jewel for our school and a very focal centerpiece for our students and our community and should be an area of pride and appreciation … I am excited to be allowed to use my own skills and knowledge of landscape design to work together with students to make it an awesome part of our school community.”
The Earth Club gathers in Kingman Lobby to host their Chuck-a-Duck fundraiser. The event took place on Feb. 6 and raised $150 that the club is putting towards the revitalization of the courtyard. The students advertised their flower bulb sale there as well.