Ben Kingsford and Bailey Lockhart worked hard for the privilege of hitting their principal and vice-principal in the face with pies.
The youngsters, both Grade 1 students at École Mount Prevost, were the top fundraisers in their school’s Jump Rope for Heart campaign for the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.
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When the fundraiser began, school principal Ian Zibin promised, as an incentive, that he and vice-principal Sandra Buckland would allow themselves to be hit in the face with pies from the two students who raised the most money.
Ben raised $901 and Bailey raised $540 of the $5,805 that was raised by the school this year in the campaign, in which students in many schools in the Valley and across Canada ask for pledges from the community for them to jump rope and exercise.
Bailey had congenital heart disease when she was a baby, and Ben’s mother and sister have undiagnosed heart conditions.
Ben said that, with the help of his grandmother Sharon Jackson, he made a video asking for pledges from family and friends and put it online to reach as many people as possible.
He said he also went door-to-door in the community over a 10-day period.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said with a grin after hitting Zibin in the face with a cherry pie in front of the whole delighted school body on May 17.
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Before taking the hit, Zibin told the excited students in an assembly in the school’s gym that $5,805 is a lot of money for a group of young people to raise.
“It shows our community spirit and how we can work together for the good of the community,” he said as the students enthusiastically beat out the tune of Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ on the floor of the gym.
“Our goal was to raise $3,000 but we went well over that thanks to the hard work of the students.”
Zibin is known for his antics to encourage his students during fundraisers.
Two years ago, when he was the principal of Discovery Elementary School, he ran around the school wearing a tutu and a crown after his students exceeded their goal in a similar fundraiser.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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