Marble Falls Elementary School students put cherry on top of fundraiser

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

MARBLE FALLS — As Zachary Haley wiped the mix of chocolate, whipped cream and cherry sauce from the face of his father, Michael Haley, a big smile greeted him — a chocolate-covered one, but a big one without a doubt.

The second-grader’s few wipes were the first step in returning his dad and Marble Falls Elementary School principal back to, well, more principal-looking status.

“Wow, they’re having a lot of fun,” said Patty McAlpin, a Marble Falls Middle School counselor, who all the messy fun was for. It’s not often an elementary school principal, assistant principal and counselor allow students to turn them into human sundaes, but Oct. 30 marked a big accomplishment by the student body.

During the month of October, the students pitched in pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to raise more than $1,000 for McAlpin’s upcoming Susan G. Komen 3-Day Event on Nov. 7-9 in Plano.  McAlpin, a breast cancer survivor, along with five of her friends make up Team Treasured Chests. The group raised more than $13,800 to participate in the three-day, 60-mile walk to raise funds for breast cancer research, treatment, prevention and awareness.

The students helped put the group well over their goal and gave McAlpin a hearty send-off.

“My heart is full,” McAlpin said after accepting the check from the MFES student council. “It’s such a great lesson for them about helping others.”

As part of the challenge, Michael Haley told the students that if they hit the $1,000 goal, he, Assistant Principal Jennifer Lockner and counselor Renetta McCall would let the kids turn them into human sundaes. On Oct. 30, the three kept their word.

Class by class, the students streamed up to one of the three administrators, poured chocolate syrup, lathered whip cream, streamed cherry sauce and sprinkled sprinkles on them. Some students even topped off the principal with a couple of cherries.

While the human sundae party was fun and served as a motivator, MFES student council president Isabel Dahl pointed out it wasn’t the real reason they brought in all the coins and donations they could find.

“When the idea of doing this for Mrs. McAlpin came up, we (the student council) all thought it was a great idea and great way to help her,” she said. While she didn’t know McAlpin personally, Dahl knows people who do, but she added it was always about helping somebody – whether the students knew her personally or not.

McAlpin laughed at some of the experiences during October regarding the MFES students’ efforts.

“I would be in the store shopping and come across a parent, and we’d start talking,” she said. “Then I’d introduce myself, and they’d say, ‘You’re the Mrs. McAlpin the kids are collecting pennies and coins for.’ It was really amazing to see how many people have come to support (Team Treasured Chests) and this event.”

McAlpin was in the midst of battling breast cancer last November during the 2013 Susan G. Komen 3-Day Event. She had remarked to her sister that when she was done with her treatments, she was going to participate in the 60-mile walk. Her sister, who is from the MetroPlex area, gathered some friends, raised money and participated in last year’s walk. Now that she’s finished with most of her treatments and she’s regained her strength, McAlpin decided to do it this year.

Along with Wendy Bingham, Kathy Wright, Judy Miller, Kay Batch and Judy Conrad, she heads for Plano on Nov. 6 with the 3-Day Event opening ceremony slated for 7 a.m. Nov. 7 at Collin Creek Mall in Plano.

McAlpin’s sister organized her team again this year, but McAlpin said they’ve combined the two into one and it’s one of the top 10 fundraising units for the Plano event.

“And this donation just makes it just so much better,” McAlpin said.

But the lesson the MFES students learned didn’t end when they dropped the last cherry on Haley’s head or when the three administrators finally scrubbed the last bit of chocolate syrup from their bodies. Student council vice president Hudson McBryde said experience can benefit them with other issues or goals they decide to tackle.

“I think this says that we’re a very caring school,” he said. “But we also learned that don’t let your age hold you back. If you set your mind to something, you can accomplish something – and something big. Who would have thought a bunch of elementary school students could raise $1,000 in month for somebody else?

“I think when we set our minds to do good things, good things happen to good people.”

Go to www.the3day.org for more information on the 3-Day Event.

daniel@thepicayune.com