More than a dozen contestants took part in the fun and helped raise money for pay-to-participate scholarships for students who can’t afford the fees. The contest was the end-product of an English class assignment requiring students to look around their school and community to identify an area of need and then plan a course to help.
A trio of students, Ibby Mosley, McKenna VanElst and Mali Holland, came up with the contest as a way of helping make sure all students can participate in sport teams even if they can’t afford the fees. They hoped to raise about $200 - enough to cover one student athlete in the middle school and high school.
“We found out that there aren’t really many scholarships for students who need help with the pay-to-participate fees, so we wanted to find a way to help,” said Ibby Mosley, who plays basketball and golf.
The three decided food is always a good motivator for high school students, so they came up with the food eating contest. Each participant paid $3, and their classmates paid $1 to watch and cheer. Contestants were given four breadsticks donated by Faro’s Pizza. The person who ate their four breadsticks the fastest was the winner. School nurses and teachers monitored the contestants.
“Being in sports is something that’s important to all of us,” said VanElst, who is on the volleyball team. “We don’t want someone to miss out just because they can’t pay. We hope it’s something we can keep going every year and raise money for at least a couple of scholarships for students.”
The girls said they have enjoyed doing the project and helping make a difference for others. “It’s more engaging than most class assignments,” said Holland, who participates in competitive cheer. “I’ve learned a lot from this lesson. It’s stressful but you have to have patience and to stay calm.”