Dawson-Bryant teachers get wet for cause

Published 10:00 am Wednesday, May 26, 2010

They came. They jumped. They raised over $4,000 for the American Heart Association.

And Tuesday, the students at Dawson-Bryant Elementary School got their reward — the opportunity to dunk several of their teachers in a dunking tank.

The school raised $4,387 during a Jump Rope for Heart event earlier this month. For each $30 that a student raised, they got one chance at dunking the teacher of their choice.

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“The kids have loved it,” Leslie Blackwell, the school’s physical education teacher, said. “I believe that’s why we ended up getting so much money.”

This year’s total is almost three times what the school raised last year.

Because of their efforts, the school will receive $400 in physical education equipment from the American Heart Association as well.

The fact that the teachers would agree to participate in the event speaks well of them, Blackwell said.

“(The students) will leave here thinking their teachers are the coolest teachers in the whole wide world, which I have to agree with them.”

Kindergartner Katie Deeds raised $300 for the event.

“It’s as much as I could bring in,” Katie said. “A lot of people wanted to do it and they gave me a lot of money.”

The kindergartener chose to dunk her principal, Angie Dillow. Several other students chose her as well.

“I think I started it out,” Dillow said. “I’m just glad it’s a warm day and we found a way to get warm water in there.”