Written by Linkin Blandford, 5th grade
What does every school have in common? Fundraising. Each year, our P.T.O. (Parent Teacher Organization) raises money for many of our projects. A common (and best, in my opinion) fundraiser is our annual Fall Festival. Like other Fall Festivals, there is chili to eat, games to play, and an auction to bid on items such as a front row parking spot, Family Fun Night baskets, local restaurants, and more. But at Sorgho Elementary, the most exciting activity is the ‘Cake War’.
The cake war is a bidding battle at our Fall Festival between our principal, Mrs. Laura Cecil, and Mrs. Natalie Miller, one of our interventionists. The cake (not that I’ve ever had the pleasure of trying it) is a mint chocolate chip cake, which takes three days to prepare. The second grade teacher, Mrs. Stephanie Rhye, chose to make a mint chocolate chip cake because it’s her husband’s favorite flavor of ice cream; so she found a way to make it into a cake. Almost everything about this cake is homemade, from the batter to the icing. People seem to enjoy this cake.
“It’s the best cake ever! When my family gets the cake we like to have a slice of it with milk,” Mrs. Cecil recalls.
Out of the ten years this cake war has gone on, Cecil has won the cake eight years. One year, she won the cake and presented it to a family who donated landscaping to Sorgho. This year, Mrs. Miller outbid Cecil to finally win the legendary melt in your mouth, minty chocolate chip, decadent cake.
“It was worth the wait.” Mrs. Miller told us.
The bidding war was so intense this year that the price climbed high. Usually going for around $150, the cake sold for $500 this year, which in turn goes towards the school’s big project for the year.
When we hold fundraisers, such as the Fall Festival, all the money we collect goes towards the school’s yearly project. In previous years, the “project” was student needs like Chromebooks or projectors. This year the P.T.Os focus was on a new playground to run around, slide, and swing on.
Our P.T.O president, Mrs. Hill, says, “It’s fun to watch. When they’re bidding back and forth, the donation amount continues to climb. Everyone is wondering, Who’s going to win the cake this year? When will they stop bidding on the cake?”
This cake war brings in good money for our big goals, and gives everyone some excitement to watch. As I close out my six year term at Sorgho, I hope I get to try this heavenly mouth watering cake before I go!