Amidst a season to consider giving and charity, the Student Leadership class will contribute to the Craycroft Center by selling candy cane grams to students, raising money to buy a donation of pajamas for the center, Dec. 8-11.
Like Valentine’s Day candy grams, the $1 candy canes will be available to send, including a personal message to the recipient from the sender, then distributed Dec. 16. When a candy cane is bought, another may be purchased additionally for $.50.
Student leadership teacher Rob Foshee included the charity to the already-established Christmas pajama day.
“We were having a discussion in leadership and we decided to add the fundraiser as a side benefit to the pajama day and lunch,” Foshee said.
Foshee was inspired to benefit the Craycroft Center through his church’s involvement.
“Every year my church does a Christmas party at the Craycroft Center, so I got the idea there,” Foshee said. “For my son’s birthday party last year, instead of bringing presents, his friends brought pajamas to give to the center. We got to deliver the pajamas ourselves and take a tour talking to the people there.”
Sophomore leadership member Danielle St. Marie says she thinks the grams will successfully raise a good income.
“When the soccer team sold suckers, everyone was buying them,” St.Marie said. “They were just something new and exciting, as are the candy canes. CJSF sells candy grams on Valentines Day, and Christmas is another major giving holiday so we just kind of took from that idea.”
Foshee feels the charity is an important center to support.
“The center takes in kids who don’t have a home,” Foshee said. “It’s a place for them to stay and the people there really care about them. It’s like what Christ says about feeding the hungry.”
Freshman Jessica Healy looks forward to sending and receiving the candy canes for the Craycroft fundraiser.
“The candy cane grams are a great idea,” Healy said. “The fact that the money is going towards the Craycroft Center makes it even better. And of course I’m sure the candy tastes amazing! My friends will all love getting a candy cane with a heartfelt message.”
During the season of giving, St. Marie sees the candy cane gram fundraiser as a useful gift to promote the holidays.
“This is a way of telling everyone ‘merry Christmas’ before leaving for break,” St.Maries said. “It shows friends that you care without having to spend a lot of money on big gifts that you might not have.”
To participate in the fundraiser, students can pick up a gram form in front of the elementary, junior high or high school office, then turn in the money to the office.
For more information, e-mail Foshee.