Firetruck escort to school caps off successful school fundraiser
May 27, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti
It wasn’t a wayward fire alarm or even a real emergency Friday when a Waterbury firetruck pulled up to Brookside Primary School just after 8 a.m.
Anyone watching closely would have seen a somewhat unusual sight. When the truck stopped, the firefighter at the wheel stepped out, walked around, and opened the passenger side door.
Out hopped second-grader Annika Hackett wearing a red firefighter hat as a dozen cheering, jumping classmates on the sidewalk greeted her along with Co-Principal Chris Neville.
“How was that? A pretty cool way to get to school, right?” asked firefighter Michael Frank.
Smiling, Annika thanked him and gave him a quick hug. She turned to the group including her teacher, her mom, and a news photographer.
What was the best part of the ride? “Honking the horn and turning on the siren,” she replied.
The special escort came together after Annika’s name was drawn at the end of the recent PTO Calendar Raffle. The PTO groups at Brookside Primary School and Crossett Brook Middle School for the first time ran the fundraiser jointly. It previously was an annual event for several years at Brookside but was suspended in 2021 and 2022 during the pandemic.
Organizers Tammy Rost at Brookside and Dana Hudson at Crossett Brook were pleased with the results. The project raised close to $24,000 that the groups split to fund student enrichment activities.
Local businesses, organizations, and individuals donated more than 60 prizes. Students sold tickets throughout January and February and drawings happened daily in March. At the end, two student winners from each school were drawn from the names of students who sold tickets. Those prizes were class pizza parties, a snowboard bag, and a ride to school on a firetruck.
Friday was the day that Annika, who lives in Waterbury Center, got to claim her prize. It began at the Maple Street fire station for a tour and then the ride to Brookside.
Hudson and Rost shared the list of raffle prizes and winners as a way to thank all of the donors and the many community members who purchased tickets. The money has gone a long way so far.
“With the proceeds from the raffle, money was spent on library books, teacher grants, a Brookside chicken coop upgrade and feed; 6th graders went to Boston to follow the Freedom Trail; 8th graders had money to buy the supplies for their 8th- grade inquiry projects; a group of middle school students studying french went to Montreal; teachers were appreciated with catered meals,” the organizers said.
Hudson and Rost say they hope to run the raffle again next year but, as always, new parent/guardian volunteers are needed to join the PTO boards at both schools. “A number of current volunteers are ‘graduating’ out of our schools,” Hudson said. “This is by no means a huge time commitment but it is hugely beneficial in engaging our students.”
Anyone interested in learning more and joining the PTO at either school may contact Hudson at hudsondana@comcast.net or Rost at trost@huusd.org. Meetings are generally every month (or sometimes every other month) for one hour. Volunteers may have an additional hour or two of tasks in between meetings. Both PTO boards have leadership positions and general member positions open for the 2023-24 school year.
PTO Calendar Raffle prizes and winners
Doc Ponds $50 gift card won by Theresa King
Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant $25 gift cards won by Kathleen Lengel, Patrick Reeen, Stacey Ambler, Memphis Backman
Cabot Cheese gift box won by Naomi Alfini
Stowe Street Cafe $25 gift card won by Hattie Rivers
Underdog Coffee VT 4 bags of whole bean coffee won by Frannie Donovan
Waterbury Auto Service gift card won by Kristy Platt
Sugarbush 4 lift tickets won by Don Pelt
Jazzercise Waterbury free month won by David Rye
The Alchemist $100 gift card & Hat won by James King
Sushi Yoshi $100 gift card won by Christine Wulff
Stowebury Construction $100 cash won by Stacey Ambler
Hen of the Wood $50 gift card won by Jerry Haskins
Prohibition Pig $50 gift card won by Phyllis Simon
Aaron Flint Builders $50 cash won by Nathan Bedford
Cold Hollow Cider Mill $50 gift card won by Meg Miley
Brave Coffee $50 gift card won by Marcy Pelkey
Swimming Hole 2 Child Passes won by Susan Senning
Waterbury Sports $100 gift card won by Brett Timrud
Waterbury Vet $50 gift certificate won by Aaron Swift
Woodstock Farmers Market $50 gift certificate won by Lexie Huckins
Sunflower Salon $50 gift certificate won by Bill Andrus
Jeremy Ayers Pottery $50 gift certificate won by Jeff Real
$100 Cash gifted by Aaron Flint Construction won by Maggie Burke
Paprika Catering $27 gift certificate (six empanadas) won by Kristen Ely
$100 Cash gifted by Waterbury Family Dentistry won by Brian Rohman
KC Bagel $25 gift certificate won by Cindy Senning
Stowe Street Emporium $25 gift certificate won by Judith Dubois
Paprika Catering $27 gift certificate won by John Lesher
Reservoir Restaurant $50 gift certificate and hat won by Cheryl Edwards
Stackpole and French law offices $500 of services won by Collin Smythe
Park Row Restaurant $30 gift certificate won by Jessa Loranger
Sunflower Natural Foods $25 gift certificate won by Maggie Burke
Bhav Spa $25 gift certificate won by Heather LaRocca
Waterbury Veterinary $50 gift card won by Robert Rutledge
Park Row $50 cash won by Kate Renaud
Billings Mobil $200 gift card won by Jane Kellogg Murray
Northeast Pools and Spas $100 cash won by Arty Whitehair
VT State Parks 10-punch card won by Lindsay Langdon
Tiny Acorn $25 gift card won by Susan Carney
Lamoille Valley Chevrolet tire rotation and oil change won by Don Clark
Keurig machine won by Mike Tagliento
KC Bagel’s $15 gift card won by Nate Lewis
Echo Leahy Science Center membership won by Alex Thomsen
Michael’s on the Hill $150 gift card won by Richard Roy
Birch and Pine real estate $100 cash won by Lisa Sholk
Aaron Flint Construction $100 cash won by Michelle Lamsen
Stowe Gondola 4 rides won by Kathy Magnus
Green Mountain Dojo 1 month free karate lessons won by Bruce Wescom
Bridgside Books $150 gift card won by Amy Marshall Carney
Blackback Pub $40 gift card won by Jean Sharry
Remarkable Things $50 gift card won by Heather LaRocca
Reservoir Restaurant $50 gift card won by Annelies Reilly
Proud Flower $25 won by Max Titus
Petra Cliffs 4 climbing passes won by Melinda Anderman
Mud City Adventures won by Wayne Sullivan
Student winners
Brookside: Firetruck ride won by Annika Hackett
Brookside: Pizza party won by Sage Sadowsky
Crossett Brook: Snowboard and cash won by Sarah Bedford
Crossett Brook: Pizza party won by Julia Wulff