Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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November 24, 2009

The principal and the toad: Local students collect more than 1,400 cans of food for Union Mission

By GREG JORDAN

BLUEFIELD – Kissing a frog won’t necessarily get you a Prince Charming these days, but it can get children to gather up more than a thousand cans of food.

Principal Cathy Daniels of Bluefield Intermediate School fulfilled a pledge to her students Tuesday when she kissed a toad – more than once – to celebrate the fact they had contributed 1,426 canned goods to the Bluefield Union Mission.

The original date in the school’s gym was with an African bullfrog, but the outdoor temperatures were too low for the heat-loving amphibian, so a fire belly toad was recruited for the kissing.

“What I worry about? I hope it doesn’t jump into my mouth when I give it a kiss,” Daniels told her students.

She applied lips to the toad several times so all the children could witness the event. Screams of delight greeted each encounter.

Besides encouraging generosity, kissing a toad was a learning experience for the principal. She discovered that frogs and toads have flavor and texture.

“He does have a taste, and he’s real sticky,” Daniels revealed. “The skin’s really sticky.”

Classes competed with each other for the title of the greatest can collector. That honor went to teacher Debra Eller’s fifth grade class, which brought in 125 cans of food.

Another member of the Bluefield Intermediate faculty was honored with her own feathers when students voted her the “Biggest Turkey.” Students voted with canned goods, and Ann Farmer, Title I Math Interventionist, won the title.

Craig Hammond, director of the Bluefield Union Mission, accepted the donation and thanked the school for its efforts.

“To date, this is the largest donation we’ve had this year, so you’re number one!” Hammond said.

The toad for Tuesday’s kissing was contributed by Kimz Pet Express in Princeton.

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