Teacher Turkey contest brings in $470

By Donnie A. Lucas

Albany Junior High teacher Chanel Hayner got to strut her stuff on Tuesday as the winner of the Teacher Turkey Contest sponsored by the Albany FCCLA chapter.

Hayner dressed in the required turkey costume to hand out suckers to students as they arrived at the main entrance on Tuesday, followed by continuing to wear the outfit throughout the day while teaching junior high language arts.

Hayner’s students donated $284 to purchase tail feathers in the contest, with band director William Vaughan placing second with $93 in donations. A total of $470 was raised through the project, with about 20 teachers and staff members participating.

All of the donations will be used to purchase toys for children on a shopping list supplied by ResourceCare.

“Originally, we thought the funds would be used to provide for teenage students, but ResourceCare said that local churches had ‘adopted’ all those students for holiday gifts,” FCCLA sponsor Jennifer Marshall said. “The list we received was to purchase clothes and some toys for elementary aged students.”

Marshall said that the total donations were about the same as last year.

“I think the kids and the staff really enjoyed it again this year,” she said. “It is something fun for everyone to be part of prior to getting out for the Thanksgiving holiday.”

This is the second year for the project, which Marshall initiated last year when she took over the FCCLA program.

Former science teacher Andre Raymond won the contest last year.