Valley Schools In Paper “War”

WAITSBURG - For the first time, Dayton and Waitsburg high schools are in a paper war. Both schools are raising money for the American Cancer Society and constructing paper links into long chains to represent each dollar they have raised.

The big revealing of the chains is at halftime at the Waitsburg-Dayton football game on Oct. 7 at Waitsburg. Whoever's chain is the longest will win bragging rights for one year.

"This has raised school spirit and pride and both schools are earning money for a good cause," said Shannon Turner, the ASB adviser at Dayton High School.

The idea for the fundraising contest came from Spokane, said Lori Bartlow, the adviser in charge of Waitsburg's contest. A few high schools in Spokane had paper-link chain competitions to raise money for good causes and she thought it would be great to borrow the idea to get the schools more involved in the annual Relay for Life held in Dayton that benefits the American Cancer Society.

Both schools have teams that participate in the relay, but this would raise even more money and get more kids involved.

Waitsburg presented the idea to Dayton and everyone was soon on board.

"This is our first year and I would love to make a tradition of it," Bartlow said.

The kids have been baking and selling cookies and going out on their own to collect money for the fundraiser. Students have been assembling paper links for each dollar raised and the chains are on display at the schools until the big reveal on Friday. Appropriately, Waitsburg- Prescott's chain is colored red and blue, and Dayton's is crimson and gold.

The schools will be collecting money until right before halftime at the big game, Bartlow said. She hopes a last-minute push for donations will result in a big donation to the society.

Turner said even though there hasn't been any large organized fundraisers to benefi t the contest, she's proud of the kids working together.

"It's been a good thing for both schools to do," she said.