The only club of its kind in the district, NAMI hosted a unique and hilarious fundraiser titled “Pie in the Face,” where teachers volunteered to get pied in the face by students to raise money for the club’s upcoming fall outreach project.
The event took place over three lunch periods. Teachers were selected to participate in the fundraiser, and students had the opportunity to vote for who they wanted to see pied by donating dollars to the teacher’s bucket. Each dollar represented one vote, and the more money placed in a teacher’s bucket, the more votes they received. Mr. Gilmartin took a pie to the face during all three lunch periods. Mr. Connor, a favorite among second lunch, was pied during the second lunch, and Ms. Evans, took her turn during the final lunch of the day. Mr. Gilmartin exclamed after pied for the 5th time, “It was a great cause, the kids get all excited, and it’s going to a good organization, and I’ll do it all day long!”
The NAMI club set a goal to raise $500, which would go towards their fall outreach project. The money will help fund a special gift for a local nursing home, an initiative to support senior citizens in the community. Thanks to support from both students and teachers, the club doubled its original fundraising target, raising over $1,000: “The money raised is going towards our fall outreach project, which is providing a gift to a local nursing home,” explained Addie Ellington, Vice President of the NAMI club.
The fundraiser not only supported an important cause, but it also sparked conversations about mental health awareness, which is central to NAMI’s mission. The NAMI club, which is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues and supporting those affected by mental illness, hopes to continue hosting events like this throughout the year to engage students and encourage open dialogue about mental health: “That really is one of the biggest bridges that we need to build is trust because that’s the first step to talking to someone else.”- President Leslie K
The success of this year’s “Pie in the Face” event is just one example of the many projects the NAMI club provides to try and make a difference.
