EPHRATA — The competition is on next week at Ephrata High School; the annual Toys for Teens drive is scheduled to start Monday and will last all week.

Toys for Teens has been going on for about a decade at EHS, long enough to establish its own traditions. Students raise money, as much money as they can, which is used to buy Christmas gifts for high school-age students. The gifts are donated to, and distributed by, the Ephrata Food Bank.

The goal for 2017 is $4,000, said organizer Sam Byam. Third-period classes will compete with each other to raise the most money.

One of the traditions attached to Toys for Teens is the prize, which uses the talents of EHS teachers. Well, actually it relies on their good sportsmanship – the “winning” teacher can be asked to dance in front of the whole school, kiss a farm animal, or do something else that might be considered beneath the dignity of the teaching profession.

Teachers have served time in a dunk tank in December, sung along to karaoke at a school-wide assembly, competed in dance competitions and kissed the aforementioned farm animal, a llama. At least one dance-off included a plate of whipped cream in the face.

For 2017 “the teacher selected will be running through an obstacle course as one of Santa’s helpers,” Byam wrote. “They will have to deliver a sack of presents through different obstacles to the end.”

The, um, winning teacher is selected from a pool of volunteers.

Toys for Teens grew out of a common problem for adults, that buying gifts for teens is tough. And that’s just as true for people buying gifts for Christmas basket distributions as it is for parents and grandparents trying to decipher what’s cool and what’s lame. So the EHS students and leadership class fill that niche, taking the money to a local business and buying as many cool gifts as possible.

Donations from the community are accepted as well, Byam said. People who want to make a donation can drop it off at the high school office, 333 Fourth Ave. NW. The Ephrata Food bank also is accepting donations of toys for children up to 18 years of age. Toy and money donations can be dropped off at the food bank, 1010 A St. SW.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].