Bonita Springs principal inspires students with a memorable fundraising reward

The Pool of Yuck is a reward for a job well done for students at Bonita Springs Charter School.

“I am looking forward to this. This is going to be very fun,” said Keira Thompson, a fourth-grader at Bonita Springs Charter School (BSCS).

Principal Carissa Carroll gave students a little motivation to raise $50,000 for a new multi-use facility on campus. If students reached their goal, she would take a dip in the “Pool of Yuck” allowing each student to bring their own yucky food items to pour on their principal.

“It absolutely disturbs me how much they enjoy it,” says Carroll jokingly. “We are trying to take our multipurpose room and transition it into a zoomnasium which is a half basketball court, volleyball court as well as performing arts center so all the funds that were raised for this event will go towards the final phase of that particular project,” said Carroll.

“I don’t think she’ll like it,” said Luca Cresswell, a 7th grader who raised the most money of any student with more than $1,200.

“I was kind of surprised but for this particular fundraiser, I usually do a lot every year,” said Cresswell.

“They did the top class and that was us so we got really really excited and we were like oh we’re going to bring in some stuff quick,” said fourth-grader Keira Thompson who brought in a half-gallon of milk to add to the Pool of Yuck.

While she has never done it before, Thompson says she’s got a strategy for her pouring job.

“Well, I’m thinking of kind of going zig-zag,” said Thompson.

One by one, pour by pour, each student wore a smile as they poured pickle juice, sardines, salsa and more on the leader of their school.

“As principals, we do anything for the kids and helping our school but it is so gross and disgusting and it’s really really stinky,” said Carroll.

The Bonita Springs Charter School is a Lighthouse School for “Leader in Me”. It is an education model based on the idea that every child can become a leader. The students raised the final $50,000 of a $375,000 goal for the zoomnasium which will allow them to have P.E. indoors during rainy weather.