GALION — As a fun community engagement night and to raise money to put back into the schools, the Galion Primary/Intermediate PTO held a “build-a-mascot” night last week for the students and their families.
PTO president Jessica Price found the idea on a PTO group page she is a part of on Facebook, and thought that was it a great idea. Soon after, Price presented the idea to the Galion’s school board and received their approval to go forward with the event.
Students received a tiger, stuffing, a shirt, a star to make a wish on to be placed inside their tiger, and a birth certificate for it. The tigers and the shirts came from The Zoo Factory, an online company based in Arizona. Brandy Bowser, the owner of the local shop, This, That & the Other, donated her time and materials to put paw print decals on all of the shirts.
This is the first year for the event, but the PTO plans on making this an annual event to coincide with National Read Across America Day on March 2 of every year, and students will be able to build a “reading buddy” or mascot.
The event was very successful, as there were 100 students who had pre-ordered for the event, 127 mascots sold, and roughly 250 people in attendance.
All of the money made from any fundraiser or event put on by the PTO goes directly back to the school and the students in the form of multiple teacher grants throughout the year, supplies students need, paying off overdue lunch accounts, fun activities for students, positive behavior incentives, and aiding the school in any other way possible.
“This was a fantastic event, and we are so excited that it was received so well,” Price said.
The PTO will be opening up orders again for students, community members, etc. to purchase a mascot kit to build at home if they missed out or want more. The kit will contain the tiger, shirt, birth certificate, wishing star, and stuffing. Orders will be open from March 16-27, and forms will be sent home with all students, will be available in both primary and intermediate offices, and will be posted on the PTO Facebook page- Galion Primary/Intermediate PTO.
Family’s got together last week in a Galion City Schools gym to build their own Galion Tigers mascots. The event was a fundraiser the districts PTO.
Students choose a Tiger to stuff and make into a mascot last week at a PTO fundraiser at Galion City Schools.
There was plenty of stuffing to go around last week during a build a mascot fund reason organized by the PTO at Galion City Schools.
