End of School Got Messy for Principal, With Good Reason

When Long Elementary School Principal Brian McKenney learned students who were part of Kiwanis Kids had pledged to fundraise for Ronald McDonald Charities, he challenged them to collect 20 bags full of soda can tabs—one-gallon size garbage bags.

The challenge included a prize if they hit the goal: They could turn Principal McKenney into a human ice cream sundae, in front of the whole school apparently, in the gym, near the last day of school.

And they wouldn't get in trouble for it.

So the K-Kids as they are called and affiliated with the Crestwood-Sunset Hills Kiwanis Club, since January collected a total of 27 bags of soda tabs—weighing in at 59 pounds.

The tabs are converted into funding for charity by recycling.

Students filled the gym on May 26 with whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, caramel, and cherries.

McKenney was a good sport in his eye goggles, T-shirt and shorts, a district spokeswoman reported.

However, McKenney and his clothes were dripping when students finally ran out of sundae fixins'. 

“I know the K-Kids had fun today, but we were all winners because the Ronald McDonald House definitely benefited,” said Kim Maddock, K-Kids advisor and school counselor.

District officials described the whole thing as a sweet deal.

Factoids about aluminum pop tabs:

• one pop tab is approximately one inch long
• 1,267 pop tabs make one pound
• one pound of aluminum can be sold for approximately 40¢

Ronald McDonald Charities website says some houses raise thousand of dollars a year through pop tab collecting.