Donuts served as rocket fuel as kindness took flight for a donut mission.
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Students at Mother Teresa Mother Teresa Early Childhood Education Centre were thoroughly entertained as members of the Lloydminster community took turns trying to eat a donut off of a string to wrap up their fifth-annual donut campaign.
The task was something even donut expert and owner of Sobeys Michelle Rusteika and had difficulty with.
“I’m awful at it. I’m very much the donut maker and I’m terrible at eating the donuts on the string,” she said, explaining she was impressed with the donut eating skills of the media from a prior year. “Few years ago, it was just the media that came into the store and did it. Media guys; good donut eaters.”
Kindness Takes Flight, The 5th Donut Mission fundraiser, is a chance for the school to give back to the community.
“It was kind of an idea of Paige’s,” said Rusteika. “She taught our daughter a number of years ago now. We always talked if there was an idea she had and wanted to collaborate on something, we’d be interested.
“It was a late-night Facebook message one night, ‘I have a donut idea.’”
The idea was born from a book.
“The book was The Jelly Donut Difference and it talked about how something as small as a donut could make a big difference if we just share kindness,” she said.
Students and Sobeys raised $8,020 as part of their campaign.
“The total amount that we donated this year was $11,394.57. Over the five years total, we have raised $40,773.57 to local organizations in Lloydminster,” explained Paige Kindopp, a Grade 1 teacher at Mother Teresa Early Childhood Education Centre.
She says a big part of this fundraiser is Sobeys contributing. This year, of the $8,020 donated, Sobeys corporate pitched in $2,000, something organizers were thrilled to see.
“It’s incredible. They see how impactful this project is and they see what their franchise owners are doing,” said Kindopp. “They see that contributing to community is very important.”
The fundraiser also received support from Cenovus Cares and some money back from their unique Kindness Takes Flight Clothing order through Kolab Print Co.
With the event reaching its 5th year and its five-year goal, year-six looks like it’ll be full steam ahead.
“It’s like a tradition at this point. People are waiting (for the donuts),” said Rusteika. “You see them come in, not once during the campaign, they’ll be in every second day and they’re sharing donuts and they’re delivering donuts.”
Donuts are a big part of the student’s curriculum as they use it in their reading, math, literacy and numeracy.
“It becomes an entire year thing that the kids talk about donuts and it gets used in every part of the classroom,” she said.
Rusteika, sporting a spiffy outfit which drew some curious kids, received a thunderous ovation from the kids as she flew into the assembly.
“This was an idea of Paige’s, and because we were space themed, this year we came as astronauts in rocket ships,” she said.
When it comes to choosing the groups that receive money, the kids are fully involved in the whole process.
“We have our celebration of learning evening and have a local organization fair,” said Kindopp.
They invite local organizations to the gym, they set up a booth and the kids and families visit all the local organizations, finding out what they do. Two classrooms can make a donation to a specific charity.
“Each class, the most votes that they have for those organizations, is how they choose their organization,” she said. “We’re trying to teach them how to vote.”
Lloydminster Rescue Squad, Lloydminster Public Library, The Olive Tree, Border Paws Animal Shelter, and Lloydminster KidSport each received $1,940.25 and Border City Connects and Big Brothers Big Sisters Lloydminster received $846.66.
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