Nanoose Bay Elementary students were eager to embarrass their principal, so the promise of a chicken dance was all it took for them to surpass their fundraising goals.
Retiring principal Steve Hamilton promised the school he’d do the silly dance at an assembly if they raised more than $1,000 through their Chores for Chickens campaign for Mayan Families Canada.
The students raised just under $1,800, meaning $1,000 for the chickens at $10 each, and $749 toward the education of a boy the school sponsors.
They also collected four suitcases of clothes, shoes, toys, toothbrushes and other hygiene items that teacher Patricia Craig and her daughter, Caitlin, from Ballenas Secondary School in Parksville, will take to Guatemala this summer.
The Craigs will go with the Mayan Families group, three other Ballenas students and volunteers from across Canada.
Group founder Robin Pawliuk was on hand to enjoy Hamilton’s performance and recognize the students’ accomplishment.
The group leaves July 2 with 30 large suitcases of donations from the community. There is one more fundraiser on Saturday (June 25). Please check www.mayanfamiliescanada.org for more information.