St. Vincent student sells cow pies for charity
By Sara Weikel, The Cottonwood/Holladay Journal (July 1, 2011)

It's not uncommon to see children selling cookies or candy for good causes near the end of the school year. One St. Vincents student, second grader Nicholas Falkner, sold a type of pie not usually seen in charity fundraisers--cow pies.

On May 27, the field behind St. Vincents School was marked off into small pieces and the pieces numbered. Families and individuals from the school and community had the opportunity to purchase these squares of field, then two young Tibetan cows were released into the field. Wherever they first did their business, the owner of that square received a prize.

This "cash cow" event was part of the second grade class's annual Pay It Forward Project to benefit less fortunate children. Near the end of every school year, second grade teacher Rhea Hristou gives each of her students $5 to use as "seed money" to start a charity project of his or her own design.

"The kids were challenged to come back with at least $15," said Nicholas's mother MJ Falkner.

The students' projects ranged from mowing lawns to cleaning homes to selling popcorn at an older brother's baseball game. Every child earned more than $15, putting together a total of $2,200. The money will go to support four students for a year at the Notre Dame Sisters of Charity Orphanage in Uganda, Africa.

"It's like adopting child for a whole year," Falkner said. Their support will include all educational costs, as well as food, clothing and boarding costs at the orphanage.

The St. Vincents students sent letters to the sisters along with their check, telling them about their projects and their hopes for the children at the orphanage. The students will keep in touch with their adopted "classmates" throughout the next school year.

"[St. Vincents] really has a motto of service," Falkner said.

It's very common to see students out after school selling something for some cause or other, but what made Nicholas' cash cow project different was that it was more of a spectator event, she said.

"Nicholas' project was the most unique," Hristou said.

Nicholas got the idea from a friend who tried it at another school. The Falkners recruited help from many different friends, some of whom donated the cows, chocolate milk and jerky for the spectators, and more, while others pledged money. The cash cow project earned about $800, more than a third of the total raised by the class, and Nicholas enjoyed every bit of it from start to finish, Falkner said.

The event itself was quite comical, as the cows--12 month old Jezebel and eight month old Maggie--jumped and played in the field. They took their time doing their business and most of the crowd wandered away before it actually happened. Maggie did the honors, and Nicholas's father played a recording of Rod Stewart's "Maggie" in her honor.