Immaculate Conception School kids couldn’t wait to greet Principal Pam Griebel last Friday. The kids had met Griebel’s gift card challenge to make the school’s 35th annual ICS Charity Auction a success, and earned the promised chance to duct tape their principal to the gymnasium wall. (Photo by D’Arcy Patrick Egan)

BY D’ARCY PATRICK EGAN

The 35th annual Immaculate Conception School auction was an especially big deal this year, as school officials and volunteers worked diligently to make the virtual fundraiser a big success. The financial support is very important to the parochial school, and officials pulled out all of the stops for the event, including promising a special treat for the kids.

Bring in $1,500 worth of gift cards for the virtual auction, and you can take time off from school work to duct tape the popular new principal, Pam Griebel, to the the gymnasium wall.

“There’s little doubt taping Principal Griebel to the gym wall was a crazy idea, but it was also a treat for the kids,” said school official Jen Roberts. “It has been a difficult year for everyone because of Covid-19, and this was a welcome break.

“Of course, there was cake involved for the kids, and they’ll also get an extra recess next week. Everyone was so proud of all of the efforts the children made to reach their goal.”

Roberts said the kids well exceeded their goal of $1,500 in gift cards, which was quite amazing in the present economic climate.

“Because of their success rounding up the gift cards, the annual 35th ICS Auction was a rousing success,” she said.

When Griebel was finally peeled off the gym wall, she praised her students for their efforts, eliciting a noisy round of applause.