Gooey gloppy goodness

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 6 months AGO

Second grader Thatcher Lechleitner dumps green slime on Ramsey Magnet School of Science Principal Crystal Silvers during a celebration Friday in the gym after students met their goal of raising $5,000 for the American Heart Association.
DEVIN WEEKS/Press

Ramsey Magnet School of Science fifth grade teacher Travis Ewert on Friday is subjected to a good sliming by P.E. teacher Trena Burt and her grandkids, Aeden Branson, third grade, and Chloee Branson, second grade, after they were among the top fundraising students for the 2023 Kids Heart Challenge.

P.E. teacher Trena Burt endures her final sliming Friday as Ramsey Magnet School of Science celebrates reaching its Kid Heart Challenge fundraising goal of $5,000 for the American Heart Association. Burt, who has been slimed many a time by her successful fundraising students, will soon retire after 27 years at Ramsey.

Students react when they see Ramsey Principal Crystal Silvers in a swim cap, plastic and goggles as she prepares to be slimed Friday as a celebration of the students reaching a fundraising goal for the American Heart Association.

Green slime was icing on the cake Friday at Ramsey Magnet School of Science.

Or, more appropriately, on the principal and two teachers.

The energy in the gymnasium was electric as Principal Crystal Silvers, P.E. teacher Trena Burt and fifth grade teacher Travis Ewert were subjects of a good sliming during a school assembly. The sliming was brought about by the students raising $5,000 for the American Heart Association as part of Finn's Mission, and conducted by the school's top fundraising students.

"I'm feeling gross and sticky," Ewert said. "The best way I can describe it is having snot run down your body."

Despite the slippery circumstances, Ewert said it's great to have students participate in the heart health awareness program.

"We've done it for years and years," he said. "The kids just love it."

Second grader Thatcher Lechleitner had the privilege of dumping the final bucket, which was almost as big as him, on Silvers as a reward for his fundraising work. He said he was proud of his school for reaching the goal.

"It's good," he said with a big smile. "It was fun. Happy."

Silvers, in protective black plastic, a swimming cap and goggles, said it was an exciting day for the school.

"It's just so fun to see the kids get excited about something, and we've been talking about it all week," she said. "It's just a good culmination of all of our events."

Finn's Mission is a way for students to participate in the Kids Heart Challenge to learn about heart health. It was created for a little boy named Finn who was born with a congenital heart defect and has survived because of help from the American Heart Association.

Silvers and Burt agreed to be slimed again, as they have in the past, when the students reached their goal.

"I'm doing good," Burt said after being covered in the slimy goo. "I'm really proud of our kids.

This was Burt's final sliming. She is retiring after 27 years at Ramsey.

"There are some things I want to do," she said. "I do ski patrol at Lookout, so I'd like to teach some courses in that. But I'm going to come back for sure to volunteer in classrooms. I'll help with the Kids Heart Challenge, cross country. I'll just come back and be a volunteer."