Number 63 Make the Front page of the Newspaper

February 6, 2010
I have to say that this was the easiest item on my list because it fell right into my lap! A colleague and I organized a fundraiser for the earthquake victims in Haiti and the newspapers and TV stations came to cover the closing ceremony. Here's the story and pictures:

Teachers slimed, 'snaked' for Haiti relief

On-post schools raise $4,000 for charity

Third Infantry Division Rear Detachment Commander, Col. Stuart McRae slimes Diamond Principal Lynda Kidd on Friday as part of the school’s fundraiser to help disaster victims in Haiti. 3rd ID mascot Rocky was on hand to assist.
Photo by Denise Etheridge

By Denise Etheridge
Staff writer

Third-grade teacher Edith Allison allows herself to be “wrapped” with a non-poisonous snake during a
school assembly.

Updated: Feb. 8, 2010 11:49 a.m.
Diamond Elementary School students learned Friday that every penny has precious value when many pennies for a good cause are added together.
The Fort Stewart school’s 700 students raised $4,064, which was donated to the American Red Cross for earthquake relief in Haiti. The goal set was $2,000.
“We are just astounded!” said Edith Allison, a Diamond Elementary third-grade teacher. “We doubled our goal. The children brought in pennies and nickels each day. We encouraged them to do chores at home to earn money to donate.”
Children also donated their allowances, she said.
Allison and fellow third-grade teacher Candace Riley went to school administrators with the idea to get the children involved in raising funds for Haiti the day after the earthquake. The teachers coordinated the school’s fundraising campaign.
Allison said each class set a fundraising goal of $50-$100. Most classes raised more than $50, and some raised more than $200.
Teachers promised their students they would do “something outrageous” if the classes surpassed their fundraising goals, Allison said.
Since her students collected more than their $50 goal, Allison allowed herself to be “wrapped” with a live snake. It was a non-poisonous pet boa.
One teacher, an avid Yankee’s fan, was “made over” into a Red Sox fan. Another teacher who is a die-hard Georgia Bulldogs fan allowed her students to paint a Florida Gator on her face.
Other teachers allowed themselves to be hit with water balloons, sprayed with silly string or get taped to the wall. Some classes received awards, such as ice cream or chocolate pizza parties. And other students won a week free of spelling quizzes.
When the final tally was announced Friday, the entire school gathered in the gym for an assembly.
Diamond Elementary School Principal Lynda Kidd allowed herself to be “slimed” with green goo in front of the entire school.
“They’ve been waiting all week to slime me,” Kidd, dressed in worn sweats, said with a smile.
Kidd’s guest “slimers” were the Marne mascot, Rocky, and Col. Stuart McRae, 3rd ID rear detachment commander.
“What you all have done will help those kids in Haiti who have lost everything in the earthquake,” McRae told students. “You can be proud of your accomplishment when you go to bed tonight.”
McRae presented a commander’s coin bitten by Rocky to Kidd after sliming the principal. The colonel said Kidd deserved the coin because she “was a good sport,” and for general excellence.
Kidd said the fundraising campaign incorporated the school’s character building program, Gator Traits.
“I am so proud of these children,” Kidd said. “Our main purpose (for the campaign) was to help people in the world that need it.”

Number 16 Get into the World Book of Records

Date: September 4, 2010

I had a childhood friend, Pia Andersson, who got into the Guinness Book of World Records . She and a pal set the record for the longest time swinging on a swing set in one sitting. She was raising money for cancer research in the name of a classmate of ours who had died from cancer. I was pretty impressed with this feat and the motivation behind the act is especially poignant now.

Here are Pia and Matt on the swings they used to break the record.

I never thought I could beat any kind of record but I've done MANY things I never thought I'd do as of late so, why not?. I may just have the chance in a few weeks.

Okay, remember last year when I did Number 20 where I went to the science fiction convention in costume? Well, I had so much fun that I'm going back this year!! This not only provides me with a good time but it also allows me to work on Number 16 on my list. It seems that there will be two attempts at world record this year at Dragon Con in Atlanta. The first is to attempt to assemble the most superheroes in one place at one time and the second is to do the same for Star Trek characters. I'm busy at my sewing machine right now getting ready for this. Here are the numbers to beat

Current Superhero record is 1246

Current Star Trek record is 508

Stay tuned for updates on this!

September 4th, 2009: Oh, yeeeeeahhhh! Did it! Did it!! Did it!!!

I had two chances on this day to make a record. at 1:30, I went to the Westin Hotel in Atlanta for the official count. Here I am (left) lining up for a photo op with the rest of the (thirty or so) Wonder Women.
There was pretty much every superhero you could imagine there. Here are a few that I saw:

We even had a special guest to pump us up during the count. Lou Ferrigno, who played the Incredible Hulk, spoke to the group and took questions from the audience. He looked really incredible! He invited all the children super heroes up on the stage with him.

Sadly, we did not make the required number to beat the world record but it was still great fun!
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That night at 8:30, there was another chance. So, with my friend, Rob, it was off to the the ballroom of The Sheraton in Atlanta in our best Star Trek garb.
Um...wow! I had never seen so many Trekkers!! We had to stand in line before the count and we saw costumes from all the versions of the Television show and the movies and even Christopher Pike (google it). Look at this crowd! After the time limit allowed, the doors were locked and we had to remain in place for ten minutes. It seemed like the longest ten minutes in my life that didn't involve a dentist drill. As you can imagine by the picture, we received some good news at the end of that ten minutes. We had 571 Trekkers ion the room and had set a new world record!!! Whoo Hooooooooo!!!!! Look for this in the next edition of the world record book.

Number 14 Sing in Public

May 20, 2010


This one wasn't so tough. I sing in public all the time with my choir so I don't have stage fright or anything BUT since I have been with them since, like, 1987 and I made the rule requiring all the things on my list being completed after the date of the initial letter, I had to make a special effort to get this done.


The answer presented itself in the form of the Teacher Talent Show at the school where I teach. I chose Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am" for my song, tuned up the ol' guitar and had at it:
If you are chilly
Here take my sweater
Your head is aching
I'll make it better 'cuz
IIIIIIIIIIII
Looooooove
The way you call me baby
And yoooooooooooou take me
The way I am.
I didn't really have an adventure companion for this one but here is a (rather blurry) picture of me with all the other teachers who participated in the Talent Show. It was a pretty good time!