Locust Elementary principal turned into human ice cream sundae as part of school’s fundraiser

Published 4:49 pm Friday, May 10, 2019

“Remember that I am old and fragile,” Locust Elementary School principal David Grice told his giddy, screaming students Friday afternoon.

Those were Grice’s last words before he was covered in ice cream, sprinkled bananas, whipped cream, cherries, chocolate syrup, pickles and — to top it off — anchovies.

In mere minutes, Grice was transformed into a human ice cream sundae. The event was a fun way to celebrate that his students raised more than $20,000 in the school’s annual Boosterthon Fun Run fundraiser.

Over a two-week period in February, the students and staff collected donations. The students raised money for and then participated in the actual fun run — a 45-minute run around the gym — on Feb. 15.

This was the third year the school participated in the program. It raised roughly $15,000 the first year and $17,000 last year.

The money raised this year will go to the school’s library, as well as its gym, music and art classrooms.

Each year, to celebrate the money raised, something unpleasant has befallen Grice, much to the children’s delight. Two years ago he spent the day on the school’s roof while last year he was slimed.

“The Boosterthon encourages participation from everyone,” said Megan Kesegich, the school’s PTA treasurer.

The top two students who raised the most money from each class got to dump all of the ice cream and toppings onto Grice, who was seated and squirming.

The students and staff also got to enjoy ice cream.

“It was horrible,” Grice said. “But I would do it all over again 100 times for these kids.”

 

About Chris Miller

Chris Miller has been with the SNAP since January 2019. He is a graduate of NC State and received his Master's in Journalism from the University of Maryland. He previously wrote for the Capital News Service in Annapolis, where many of his stories on immigration and culture were published in national papers via the AP wire.

email author More by Chris