WHITE A fifth graders wish list sparked a warm outpouring of Christmas generosity in the Deubrook Area School District last week. When Finley Murphys mom shared his list on Facebook, it caught the eye of Karen Murphy a distant cousin and an English teacher at Deubrook High School.
Finley made a Christmas list which had four things on it. It had: I want an animal coloring book, I would like to have another fish so that my fish that I have could have a friend, and then I would like food and blankets for the needy, Karen said. I saw it and I thought it would be kind of cool if we could help make Finleys wish come true. The kids at the high school and junior high I put a challenge to them. I said, listen this is what were going to do. Were going to have a contest to see which grade can collect the most cans and blankets. And so thats what the kids did all last week to support Finley.
She told the students canned goods were worth a single point and blankets were worth three points. The class scoring the most points at the end of the week would win a prize.
Originally I said a donut breakfast just donuts and juice, Karen said. Come Wednesday, I realized we were getting some stuff, but not a lot. So what I pretty much said to them was, ‘Listen up. Whichever group raises the most amount of cans, you will get a waffle breakfast with bacon and sausage and juice. Then the class that gets the least amount of cans has to serve them.’
That incentive was enough to galvanize the senior class into action.
We had a couple of our seniors who went out and brought back a whole bunch of things on that last day on Friday that they brought into school, Karen said. So the seniors kind of played a trick in how their box was empty all week long, until that last day. They had so much. They finished with like 900 items themselves.
The sophomore class ended up serving breakfast, but Karen said the students were all good sports about it.
Theyre all wonderful, and its all been a wonderful week, she said. And Finley actually came in and helped to serve as well. He wanted to come in and serve with them, and so he came in.
She said Finley was overjoyed seeing the amount of food and blankets the students collected.
On Friday (Dec. 13), we delivered the food to the food bank. And so Finleys mom brought him down to the school before we left, and he was just an ear-to-ear smile, Karen said. He just has a heart of gold. I mean he is just always smiling and always positive. So it didnt surprise me that this is what he asked for. But it kind of does when youre a fifth grade student, those are the four things on your list? Its pretty amazing.
She said moments like this are why shes proud to be a small-town teacher.
My dad grew up in White, and I was raised in Rhode Island, Karen said. You know, Ive been teaching for 42 years. I taught out in Rhode Island before this, and people always ask, Why did you move here? Its just one, I have a link to the community because my dad grew up here. But two, the most important thing is that out here there are three values that showed very much this week. And thats family, faith, and community. So those are the three things that I really see here. And those really came true this weekend and past week with the kids helping to support a young boy and make his wish come true.
The students donated 1,559 food items and 45 blankets to the Brookings Food Pantry.
Still no word on whether Finley will get an animal coloring book or a new pet fish for Christmas but it seems likely hes at the top of Santas nice list right now.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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