Get thee behind me, school fundraiser nonsense.

I'm happy to say that our local schools stopped doing this a few years ago. Many parents complained about the message it was sending to their children and about the crap that were pressured into purchasing. Not every child is meant to be a peddler and it created a very unfair competition.

Hate 'em.

Passionately.

The mom I run with and I joke that we find things to get pissed off about because the adrenaline makes us go faster -- that was one.

We were expounding on their awfulness for a full lap.

We agreed that we'd rather just write a check and be done with it than go through all this rigamarole.

The part we hate the most is the marketing aimed at the KIDS -- get them all hyped up about earning crappy little prizes.

Grr...

We didn't do that this year. I was not so pleased at first. I like the wrapping paper offered though the school fundraisers...so do the grandparents both sets. Our rule has always been -- us, and grandparents. That is all that they can ask to help out. They stopped that this year.

They did what is called a Boosterthon. And it was fun.

They once again had to get pledges, and once again - our limit was us and grandparents - but between us all - the school got a nice little chunk of change.

The goal was anywhere between 25 and 35 laps...the most you could run was 35 - (even though twin #1 ran 50 ) the most the sponsor pays is for 35 laps. They had great music and let the kids do goofy things each lap...pretend they were riding horses...run through bubbles. They gave the parents these Bam bam sticks that made noise when you banged them together and then asked us to hold them over the edge of the track so the kids could limbo under them if they wanted. The disabled as well as the able were out, walking running, being pushed, being led (little blind girl - adorable - being led by a friend). It was great! I laughed and the kids had a wonderful time. I much preferred this to the wrapping paper.

You know me, I'd probably be apoplectic. Harder, of course, with a child in the system, or more than one child.

Mo's school is doing the wrapping paper one now. They'll do the jog-a-thon later. Sometime between sell crap and sell dookey fundraisers and the auction and the "why haven't you contributed to the foundation yet?" letter.

The wrapping paper one is really interesting this year in that they expect you to go online and place your own order AND they don't give you any information about when you're supposed to pay/collect/whatever.

Plus, the school photo thing came out today -- have you seen that one yet? The prices for this junk is outrageous! I worked in the photo industry for like.... 25 years..... and I know a thing or two about lab prices -- especially when you order in such bulk -- it's frikken dimes. I'm gonna set up a photo booth outside school on photo day and charge $5.00 for a digital image. I'll rake in some serious cash.

Sorry.... I'm ranting.

One of the reasons I love Mo's teacher this year? She had a minimal supply list but one item on it was a $20 bill so that she had some flexibility in what to buy for the class.

From the non-parent school side of the equation, I hate it too. Why not have the kids walk ten miles for sponsors' donations? Kindergartners in one school I worked at sold decorated rocks (that they decorated themselves). You're buying something you don't need, but at least the kids made the things.

I dislike it as well, and I always just wrote a check and was finished with it.
We've done the wrapping papers too and I still have plenty for years to come.

My daughter's school has something different this year and I liked it much
better: parents buy a white tile (8 x 8) for $ 50.00 and the kids (or parents)
paint the tile (ceramic colors were supplied). The school bakes the tiles and
mounts them on a dedicated wall. So far, about 100 tiles are already in place, and it looks so nice and colorful. It was fun painting and I might even buy some more tiles (one can buy as many tiles as one wants to).

Geez, I hate this stuff. Like CJ, I usually just write a check and dump the entire envelope of fundraiser materials in the trash.

We've always told SonofEva that he should pick one thing to sell each year...no more. We don't want people to run every time they see us coming. Each year, he has picked Boy Scout popcorn because of the 10% commission and the prizes. He's been the top popcorn seller in his troop almost every year. I am sure that if he sold more things more often, he wouldn't have such a good response.

Write a small check for these fundraisers and forget them. If you want to help out with classroom expenses (like we have), give the money directly to the teacher. We also save coupons from places like Office Depot and Staples and give them to the teachers, too. They buy a lot of paper and supplies at those places out of their own pockets.

I think that is why I like the Boosterthon my school did so much this year. We just went to grandparents. I explained to the boys that we would give what we could period. All those prizes they promise because you make so much money - they will probably either get at Christmas - or are so piddly they would tear up almost immediately. This way - we as for donation from who we feel is willing to help and then drop it. But what I LOVED about the whole thing was that the kids did something together. That fun run caused them to look at each other and to join together. It was great - really. I will be a bigger supporter next year because of how much fun the kids had without pestering the life out of people for money. They are quite content. This....is....a .....good....thing

And - I hate the whole fundraising thing too...but with public schools, it is a necessity. They would not be able to afford the new computer equipment or extra things otherwise. I am willing to help in spite of my annoyance at being asked for money - yet again.

Oh god. I am so glad I am not the only one. I hate them. I guilt family into buying chocolate and wrapping paper and that is it. But then I have to spend weeks bringing them back to reality. "No honey, there is no way in hell you are going to sell enough to get an iPod."

When Duckie was in 1st grade, I dropped him off one time at his class a little late but just in time to hear a propaganda video they were playing for them. "Tell your parents how important it is to raise money for your school..."

Well, I ask the teacher what she is in need of...paper, printer ink, paper towels, wipes...whatever - I preface by telling her I am already headed to Walmart - she is always pretty honest with me...sometimes I don't have to buy a thing.

I don't mind helping. We have a great school. I am glad to help where I can - despite the fact I do get tired of having to explain to my boys EVERY time they have a fundraiser why they cannot expect to get every prize offered...that is truly a pain in the booty.

Ack, I hate these. As a nonparent living in a city, you'd think I'd be immune, but I've been hit up in the past by coworkers looking to help out their kids. Yes, I have wrapping paper.

What irks me is, why are people doing this instead of, I dunno, voting for a (oh my God oh how horrible the sky is falling my skin is melting the world is ending Aaaaghhhhh) tax increase in order to just across the board pay enough so that our schools can function properly without going through this crap every year?

I set my daughter up outside my shop when she was 6 or 7 to sell the school fundraising chocolates. (The shop had big plate glass windows so i could see what was going on). big hand painted sign "HELP MY SCHOOL". we/she did real well being the cutest kid you ever saw (naturally0 selling to grandmothers etc.

The school principal happened by and took me to task. According to the principal parents are supposed to buy the goodies they shouldn't be sold to passers by.

Really? Now if we could do what you did - we would...I would think the principal would have been thrilled with that. Going door to door these days is just not an option. All our friends have kids that do the same thing...so if you call them - they will call you - it is just a swapping of money. What we decided to do by telling the boys to just ask G-parents and us - is to stop all the swapping. Give what we could to help the school then not worry about it. At least I have control of what I know I can afford to give. That is huge in my opinion.

Gadzooks, how stupid and short-sighted is that? They need money. Why the hell wouldn't they take it from whoever they could get it from?

We defrosted the freezer earlier this week. Buried in the deep dark recesses ... a tub of white chocolate macadamia cookie dough ... bought from some kid doing school fundraising door-to-door. I'm sure the tub will be handy for storing something once we scrape the dough out

what ? no baking cookies ?
isn't it sinful to throw out food ?
hbg

I'll tell Setanta that you suggested he bake the cookies. They'll go nicely with the new drum kit

I think that tub's been in there about mmmmmm 5 - 8 years. <shudder>

Good thing Set'll try anything.