Mullan Trail Elementary turns cookie dough into dough
<p>Alexis Hart applies a streak of blue hair dye to Mullan Trail Elementary Principal Katrina Kelly's hair during an assembly Monday to celebrate a recent fundraising effort by the students. Hart brought in more than $1,000 from cookie dough sales and donations.</p>
<p>Corey Still, a fourth grade teacher at Mullan Trail Elementary, grins at the crowd as his head is buzzed with a set of clippers and his principal has her hair spray dyed by student Laney Smith during an assembly.</p>
POST FALLS - Give kids a carrot - or a limo ride is even better - and they'll make their school a better place.
Mullan Trail Elementary students made $13,500 in profits during their annual fundraiser, selling cookie dough and collecting donations.
That's $2,400 more than last year, which is exceptional considering continued tough economic times, said Kristin Goodmansen, the school's parent-teacher organization president.
"It was an amazing year," Goodmansen said.
At the top of the class for the second straight year was selling wiz Alexis Hart, a second-grader who brought in $1,006, including selling 83 items and topping last year's $600.
"I just kind of like to get prizes and I want to sell cookies to be nice," Hart said. "Our school's goal was to reach $10,000 and I tried to help get that."
Proceeds this year will be spent on teachers' needs for their classes, whether it's supplies or field trips.
For her efforts, Hart won a digital camera, MP3 player, lunch with Principal Katrina Kelly and the top 10 sellers and a limousine ride.
But she said none of that compares to Monday's fundraiser celebration assembly in which she assisted painting Kelly's blonde hair blue after the school reached its goal.
"That was my favorite part," she said with a smile. "I got to do it in stripes."
Along Kelly's side and adding to the roar of the students was fourth-grade teacher Corey Still, who had his hair shaved by wife and first-grade teacher Allison Still.
Hart's parents, John and Susan, said Alexis has a knack for selling.
"She told people, 'I'm only in the second grade and not even 8, can you help sponsor me?'" Susan said. "She never likes no for an answer. Her big thing is that she likes to help out whenever she can."
Susan said there were times when her legs were tired from walking, but Alexis insisted on going to more homes.
John said Alexis also went to his work at Knudtsen Chevrolet to sell.
"One of our neighbors said he'll be leaving, but she said, 'That's OK - we'll keep it in the freezer until you get back,'" John said. "She even sold three boxes at 7-11 when she went there for a Slurpee."
The fundraiser was filled with inspiring stories, including fifth-grader Betty Mitchell giving up three of her points to another student, allowing Sara Lewis' class to have 100 percent participation.
Mitchell's decision technically prevented her from winning a limo ride, but teachers and parents were so moved by her willingness to help the other student that she'll get to go.
"It was more important for me to help my classmate and our class to reach its goal," Mitchell said.
The school had a 67 percent participation rate (251 students out of 375). More than $2,000 in cash donations was collected and 2,096 boxes of cookie dough was sold.
The top 10 sellers get to have lunch at Rob's Seafood and Burgers with Kelly on Wednesday. Eighty-one students sold at least 15 items to earn a limousine ride this Friday.
"When we totaled it up, the computer even asked, 'Are you sure you sold that much because that's a lot for the size of school?'" Goodmansen said. "That was a good feeling."