Kid Fundraisers

[Vicki]

I don't remember having to sell so much junk when I was in school. I think I sold girl scout cookies and our annual magazine sale. Maybe something for band but I don't recall. Why are kids these days always pawning some garbage? The first WEEK of school Tracy kids come home with a flyer full of junk. Seriously more wrapping paper? A timer, generic chocolate? And what's their incentive? A yard of bubble gum. Oooh-aaah. Did I mention they sell stuff twice a year too? Come on folks. The kids bring in their own school supplies, raise funds twice a year plus for whatever activities they're involved in - when do we say enough? I think at the very, very least the schools should be supporting local vendors (stanganellis, romolos, pulakos, etc.) Shame on these pta parents who don't choose local fundraising ideas. Did I mention the lack of creativity? Can't we come up with some better, fun way of raising money? Crafts shows? Boring. What about a dinner where the teachers and principals cook and serve? THAT's something I could support. Family movie night in the school auditorium - I would do that. A cook-out with a teacher baseball game to follow?

Did I mention that most of my kids don't even go to school? One of my babies left the homeschool 'nest' to go to public school and he is selling stuff for baseball, boyscouts, church, and on and on it goes. I almost wish he had a fundraiser for swim team. His coach announced that he ordered track suits for all the kids and already put their names on it and everything and the price was only $60! Cough, gag, choke. Really? Seriously? We live pay to pay, one income, six mouths to feed (4 of them being males) we get everything hand me down, thrift shop, with coupons or a really good sale. I could have choked the coach. You can tell he's a single man with no dependents!

Oh well, I've got to go help sell chocolates (local of course)!!

[Lesley Rackowski]

My kids are now 23 and 18 and we still have some of the "junk" they sold in school, such as wrapping paper that we never used. (I need to do some cleaning out of our closets.) I have a local business that I have contacted schools about to do our fund-raising, but have always been turned down. They don't even have to do anything except to advertise our web site, and then we do the school colors pillowcases. For some reason they think that locally made things aren't "good enough." I did get a school in Virginia to do it, and they are doing very well with it.

Lesley
Pillowcasegram
www.pillowcasegram.com