Senior Survivor contestants raise $3,002.29 for Ronald McDonald Charities
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The contestants in the 2010 Chester High School Senior Survivor Contest raised a total of $3,002.29 in this year's initial challenge. The 10 contestants had only five days to accomplish their task and did a great job of raising a bundle for the Ronald McDonald Charity.
Survivor contestants found out their first challenge Sunday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. and had only until Friday, April 2 at 5 p.m. to turn in their collections. Most had ideas developed and implemented by the next morning at school Monday, March 29.
Methods of fundraising ranged from selling cookies to putting collection buckets at local stores. One contestant even sold chances to throw a pie in the face of CHS Principal, Keith Kittell. Kittell was a good sport and took his punishment well in spite of quite a hard throwing and smearing of the cream pie in his face, eyes and ears.
Another contestant sold plastic Easter eggs at school filled with candy and most all contestants made plenty of opportunities to donate to their collection tills throughout the week at school and at sporting events.
The result was the second-highest fund-raiser in Senior Survivor history. The most collected for charity was last years when the Class of 2009 Senior Survivor contestants a total of $3,412.14 for Juvenile Diabetes in the name of little Andrew Schwarting.
Andrew is the son of Mike and April Schwarting of Chester. Mike is a math teacher at CHS and students and the community really worked hard to honor the littlest Schwarting who has juvenile diabetes.
In 2008 Senior Survivor Contestants raised $3,000.54 for the American Cancer Society. Each year, up until this year, classes succeeded in exceeding the amounts raised in previous years. The economy likely had somewhat of an effect on the ability of this year's group to exceed last year's amount.
"I really was pleasantly surprised that the Class of 2010 was able to raise the second-highest amount for charity this year in spite of the poor economy. I would have been pleased with half the amount. I bet that the Ronald McDonald Charities will be thrilled to receive such a great donation especially since the kids only had five days to achieve their goal," stated Brian "Gritty" Snider, organizer and coordinator of the Senior Survivor Contest.
Snider further noted that this year's group really used their creative juices when planning and implementing their fund-raising strategies. Snider exclaimed, "This is wonderful news. The kids should be very proud of their efforts and the fact that they will help out a lot of families who will utilize the Ronald McDonald Houses in the Metro area this year."
Sunday evening April 11 at 8:30 p.m. at the CHS Cafeteria Snider will announce the top-four fundraisers and the person at the top of the list will earn immunity for the first week's elimination.
That night the contestants will also learn what their next challenge will be and voting will begin on line at www.chesteryellowjackets.com. at 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 12. The community is encouraged to join in the fun and to vote for one contestant each week to survive. Only one vote is allowed each week per e-mail address. Voting for the first week elimination ends Saturday, April 17 at 12 p.m.
The 2010 Senior Survivor contestants are off to a great start with the collection of $3,002.29 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Hats off to Josh Ruch, Mollie Laramore, Jamie Long, Sam Higgerson, Randy Beam, Rachel Young, Aaron Grah, Megan Atchison, Jeff Beers and Jamie Chambers. Now, who will be the first pair of contestants to be removed from the 2010 CHS Senior Survivor Contest?