By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — The six-person upper-level Destination Imagination team at the Limestone Community School won states in early April and earned a spot at the National Destination Imagination competition, picking up the coveted da Vinci Award along the way.
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
Emily Michaud couldn’t contain her excitement as she splattered a pie in the face of mid-level science teacher Trish Gervais during a fundraiser on May 6. Please see Limestone News for additional photos.
It’s the first time since 2007 that a Limestone upper-level DI team is making their way down to nationals, and the students put in ample elbow grease to earn their spot — they built 6.5 ft by 6.5 ft scrapbook out of cardboard that literally comes to life, created an eight-minute skit about an energy cycle called “spinning a tale,” and did it all with such creativity, skill and talent that the team has been described with adjectives like exceptional and out-of-the-ordinary.
While the team’s hard work has earned them a place at nationals, the highschoolers are finding that there’s much more hard work necessary to get them to the Knoxville, Tenn. competition.
The students have been fund-raising for the past five weeks, working steadily toward their goal of raising $7,000.
During April break, while the rest of the Limestone Community School students, faculty and staff were enjoying their vacation, the high school DI team put in between 50 and 60 hours each toward fundraising efforts.
“We’ve been selling concessions at baseball and softball games, during April break we held multiple days of bake sales, we sold chili lunches, chicken stews and chocolate rabbits for Easter,” described D.I. coach Wendy Bencivenga, “and we’ve sold hundreds of whoopee pies.”
Since the Friday conclusion of the school-wide Penny Wars, a pie auction with the purpose of planting the baked good in the face of good-sported teachers and a duct tape themed dance on Saturday night, the students came approximately another $700 closer to reaching their goal.
Which brings the Limestone DI’s current fund balance to right around $5,500. The students have flexed their creative muscles fundraising and still have a couple events up their imaginative sleeves to close the financial gap, but time is running short; the team needs to raise another $1,500 by Wednesday, May 18 — a week from now.
“These kids have raised every single penny,” said Bencivenga. “They didn’t receive financial backing from the school system; they earned everything themselves and I think that makes this trip even more special to them.”
On Thursday, May 19, the team will be selling chicken pie dinners made to-go, for $8 and on Sunday, they’re holding a disk golf tournament in Caribou (for additional information on either fundraiser, please call 325-4700).
The team is confident they’ll raise the remaining funds by May 18 and while the road to nationals hasn’t been an easy one for the small Limestone group, they’re learning that the rewards get better the harder you work.
They’re also learning the proverbial “good things come to those who wait,” because even after the team’s fundraising goal is met, they’re still looking at a 21-hour drive to get from Aroostook County to Knoxville.
While DI team members Amanda Allen and Kelsee Albert are unable to make the trip due to schedule conflicts, Shannon Leighton, Vessa and Kevan Willarreal and Kim O’Bar will be representing the team at Nationals.
