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What could be more #wyostrong than a small community that cares for their own? Each year, students and community members come together for Service Week at Wind River Schools.
The Ninth Annual Service Week began today, Monday, January 21st with dress up day. For the middle and high schoolers, it’s Golden Oldies Fashion Day and for the elementary kids, it’s Inside Out day. Tonight it’s Monday movie night for the students and a night of playing Fortnite with ice cream treats at $5 each.
Each day and night this week will have a different theme, some just for the students and some for the community. The week culminates Friday night with the girls and boys basketball games against Shoshoni. There will be a live and silent auction that night, in addition to all the week’s events. The Service Week is a district and community-wide fund and fun-raiser with a goal to raise $10,000 to help offset medical expenses for a Wind River student, Andrea Clark, who has been diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma and is now undergoing chemotherapy.
“This event is sponsored by the Boys basketball team,” said the district’s Director of Student Services and Head Boys Basketball Coach Justin Walker. “It’s designed to build up school spirit and raise funds for the Clark family. We pick a different recipient each year. We annually ask the boys team to come up with a service project, and this is it.” Walker said the school has either just surpassed or just missed the $10K goal in the past, “but we’re usually really close.”He said the Service Week idea originated when he was the Girls coach, and when he became the Boys coach, he brought the tradition with him.
Here’s the weekly schedule
Monday – Golden Oldies Dress Up Day (M/HS) and Inside Out Day (Elem); Movie and Fortnite game with Ice cream (students only)
Tuesday – Tie-Dye Day (M/HS) and Biggest Sports Fan (Elem) and an evening Chili Cook-Off and Talent Show (open to the community)
Community members are asked to bring their chili already cookes and to provide cheeses, sour cream or chips as they desitre; The Chili Cook-off will be held in the high school gymnasium and the talent show will be in the high school commons
Wednesday – Dress us as a movie character and a date auction (M/HS), Crazy Day (Elem) and Dodge Ball Tournament in the evening, $20 (also open to the community)
Thursday – Purple Day plus class competitions and Pep Assembly (M/HS) and Crazy Purple Day (Elem). Thursday night, Hide and Seek for the students only .
Friday – Everyone is encouraged to wear Purple or Violet to the basketball games versus Shoshoni (Violet is the color for Hodgkins Lymphoma Awareness); plus live and silent auctions during the games.
Since this event is a fundraiser, donations of silent auction items or money are accepted. Contact the school for details (856-7970).
One other event that should bring in some cash is the playing of an annoying song every day. The song will be played over and over until enough money is raised to stop it. Students can then also pay to start it up again. This year’s song: Baby Shark. Monday’s cost is $25 to turn off the song (or start it up again), Tuesday the price goes up to $50, Wednesday’s fee is $75 and on Thursday the cost goes to $100.
New this year is the “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” auction where students and community members alike are urged to bring in gently used cowboy hats and/or caps and cowboy boots/shoes for an auction night. “They’ll be sold as is,” Walker said, “It should be fun to see what comes in.”
Oh yes, the students are in charge of this event. “They do the organization and running of the event, seek out donations and help with the various logistics,” Walker said. “It’s a great leadership opportunity for them.
Walker thanked the community for its past support and for helping to make this year’s event as successful as past years.
