My kids' school is selling Coke??

[Eliana]

How random is that? The newest fundraiser is selling Coke products to families at a discount price? Why?

Am I the only one this bothers?

[Eliana]

I guess I'm sensitive to it because I feel guilt every time I get one of these things and choose not to participate. And this particular one speaks to the fact that I quit pop almost exactly one year ago. I haven't had a sip in almost exactly one year and here's the fundraiser making me feel guilty about it.

[Beverlyjoy]

Fundraisers often sell sugary things - candy, cakes, cookie dough... Selling Coke products is a new one.

I have a friend that doesn't participate in the school's fundraisers. She just doesn't like asking friends to buy things. At the beginning of the school year, she writes a check to the school/PTA/whatever for some amount of money as a donation. After that, she says her child doesn't participate in any of the fundraisers. Food or nonfood.

I ususally buy foody things from the kids and give it away quickly.

I can see your conflict in this.

[rachael]

You could buy some and donate it to a shelter if you wanted. Or just give what you would spend to the school, they make more anyway. That seems like a bad fundraiser, buti wonder if coke is offering extra incentives.

[katy trail]

i feel the same guilt, even with a tight budget. i wish the items were more useful and affordable.

[WildThings]

That seems like a very odd choice for a fundraiser product. In all honesty, even when I was eating crap everyday, including a large amount of soda, I don't think I would have bought Coke from a school kid for a fundraiser. It's even more odd because so many of the schools are at least trying to get sugary drinks out of the schools, but then they go and have the kids sell it. It sends very mixed messages, like "ooh, don't drink this at school, it's bad for your, but drink it at home, we need the money for our fundraiser."

[JenMusic]

It bothers me - both the (lack of) nutrition aspect of it, as well as the corporate aspect of it.

I understand your guilt, though. Ugh. It's such a rock and a hard place issue, because who doesn't want to help the school?

This post made me remember - in 7th grade, we sold chocolate bars for a fundraiser. I sold the third most in the entire school. Guess who ate a BIG chuck of those chocolate bars I "sold"? That's right, me. I was a binger even then.

On a brighter note, I'm not that girl anymore.

[spixiet]

Feeling a fair bit of guilt reading this....

I teach 6th grade, and each year we take the kids to outdoor science camp for a week. It costs $275 a kid, and a lot of the families can't afford the price tag without some help. We do a Jog-a-thon to help raise funds, but we also sell See's Candy before Christmas (found in most malls in California). The logic behind the fundraiser is that all of the profits come to the classroom (none of it is spent on tax, shipping, or crap toys), and many families already purchase See's candy as standard holiday presents for people they work with or to send to family members (so why not get the profit for the kids).

I feel bad sending home a candy based fundraiser, especially now that I'm eating healthier. At this point though, we're committed to running the fundraiser. I was planning to talk to the class when the fundraisers went home and make a special request that no one buys me anything chocolate as a holiday gift (a common occurrence in previous years). Still...the guilt -

At least I can tell myself that, fundraisers aside, I am still having a positive impact on my students' views of food. I don't advertise that I'm eating healthier and exercising as part of a diet, but I do try to introduce more fruits and veggies to the kids. (Ex. reading Greek mythology, kids didn't know what a pomegranate was, so I made sure to bring some in and share...now it's a new favorite in the room) Also, they're getting in the habit of asking what I'm having for lunch and often beg to try things - so they've learned that a soup with lentils, carrots, and spinach can smell really good and taste yummy, as can roasted beets and sweet potatoes with roasted turkey breast. This Friday, we're having a Fall Celebration party (Halloween for the less pc), and I'm encouraging kids to bring pomegranate arils, persimmons, or roasted squash wedges (for the veggie platter). We'll still have cookies and cupcakes, but it's amazing how many of them choose the healthy items when they're given a choice.

[ChrissyBean]

Strangely, a candy-based fundraiser doesn't bother me nearly as much as one selling pop would. I'm not sure I can verbalize it at all, but yeah...pop sucks.

[Eliana]

Originally Posted by ChrissyBean

Strangely, a candy-based fundraiser doesn't bother me nearly as much as one selling pop would. I'm not sure I can verbalize it at all, but yeah...pop sucks.

I agree. The best way I know to verbalize it is to say it's because candy bars I feel are ok in moderation whereas pop is not. That's just my opinion. Sorry Pepsi and Coke!

I have such a hard time at Special Olympics every year because I run the Pepsi wagon. It's free unlimited pop to all our athletes, parents, volunteers, siblings, etc. I actually cut them off after their fourth or fifth visit if I notice, or push water at them. And it kills me to hand over a cup of pop to the little siblings like two and under.

[ThicknPretty]

Ugh, I'm hating fund raisers right now. My son's school does the Coke thing, too.

I don't mind selling the coupon books...they're only $10 and actually have some pretty good stuff in them. Very popular in these parts. But I HATE the cookie dough/coke ones. We just got done selling cookie dough (huge tubs of cookie dough, the cheapest of which being $14) and I didn't even actually attempt to get anyone to buy some. My mom sold a few and she and I purchased some, but I don't know a lot of people who have that much extra money just waiting to spend it on cookie dough. Ridiculous.

What I hate the most is when they make it so competitive. I understand that a lot of schools are underfunded and need the money for supplies and etc. BUT I don't like that my son gets caught up in the competition and is in one way or another made to feel bad or inferior because he didn't or couldn't outsell everyone in the school. Especially since we don't have family nearby...it makes it harder. I don't feel comfortable asking friends or coworkers to spend their hard earned money on...cookie dough.

That was my rant...lol.

[L144S]

I work in fundraising. What bothers me most about the selling of product is how little the schools keep for pushing a sellers product. Sellers make a killing, kids have to peddle door to door, friends and families buy stuff they don't want and the school still only gets 10%.
I wish that schools would look beyond the selling product and get more inventive where it costs 10% and you keep 90% rather than the other way around!

[fattymcfatty]

I love how all you people living in the East and Northeast say "pop". Here in CA we usually refer to it by name, i.e., Coke, or we say "soda"

BTW, I agree that the stuff is liquid satan. I quit even diet soda, (I was an addict--3 cans on a "good day") about a month ago to see if I could lose even faster. So far I haven't noticed a difference besides saving $$$ on not buying the stuff.

I think it is a good idea to either donate, buy the stuff and re-gift it, or donate it to the homeless shelter. As a former high school teacher, schools right now are hurting, and any $$$ helps, even if that means selling satan.

[rachael]

Eliana, why don't you suggest that they organize a 5k fundraiser or something next time? Or even a dance-a-thon or something which is even more fun for the kids. The kids get sponsors, just like in any other fundraising race/dance-a-thon for cancer or whatever, who pledge $5/hour or whatever. There can be a drawing with all sponsors names in it and have the prize be 10% of the net raised. Then the kids dance for 5 hours, raise a bunch of money, and there is still a prize at the end. There is little to no overhead and most of the money goes to the actual school. Plus the kids get exercise instead of Snickers and Coke.

[midwife]

My kid is selling sheets. Yah, like bedsheets. I dislike the soda sale on principle too, but have you ever tried to sell bedsheets?


PS. Anyone wanna buy some sheets? (kidding, kidding!)